I love you to the Moon and Back
by Nycorson
Summary: Faith, Buffy, and Willow come to visit. Life is complicated for the women in Xander's life, and love doesn't mean you know how to do the right thing. Note this is not Slash.
1. Chapter 1 - Incoming

Authors Note: Don't own anything, Joss, Marvel, Disney, and all sorts of those own this, so please don't sue. I'z broke.

_So, this one is a bit darker than the others, and it is going to come across a bit as bashing Buffy and Robin. It isn't Buffy bashing, there is a reason behind why they are acting this way, and I swear it'll make sense in the end, just maybe not of this fic. Robin, yeah well, I don't like him, and have always had an issue with him dating any slayer because of the age difference, and well__… it made for a better story. But still fun stuff and more Pepper, cause well Pepper rocks._

After that memorable Christmas morning, things settled back into place, though Xander kept feeling Natasha watching him, and Tony seemed to drop by more often. It was to the point that Jarvis started sending Xander extra groceries to feed all the people that just 'happened' to show up for meals. Not that Xander minded, but their apartment really wasn't big enough for as many as kept showing up.

Pepper seemed to throw herself into working again, and Xander felt like he never saw her. Of all his visitors she almost never dropped by, while Safira and Steve were all but joined at the hip. Bruce and Tony entertained Jolie as they waited for school to start by each trying to convince her to study in their fields of focus.

The new year approached, and Xander realized he had a visit from three of the most important women in his life looming ahead. They were due to arrive on December 30th.

"Jarvis, any chance of an apocalypse this week?"

"Not that I am aware of, Xander."

"Damn."

Xander sighed and put in a request for three guest rooms, and made sure he knew where his walking shoes were. He had not sent them their Christmas gifts, as he knew they were coming, but right now he just hoped they liked them, if his friends came through with them.

Pepper intercepted him as he headed to the airport to pick them up. Willow had been informed there was no teleporting unless lives depended on it, so they were traveling first class based on frequent flyer miles.

"Hi, Pepper." He gave her a serious look. "How are you adjusting to the changes?"

A bright smile wreathed her face and she pulled him into a sudden hug much to his surprise.

"Thank you so much for not avoiding the question, but actually asking me about it," she exclaimed as she released him.

"What do you mean?" He looked at her as she fell into step next to him.

"Oh lord, Tony just gives me a guilty look every time he sees me. Bruce just ducks his head as if he thinks I'll beat him. And it's taken me a week to just get to the point I could pick up cups and open doors without crushing them or rip them off the hinges."

Xander burst out laughing, and Pepper flushed and looked away.

"No, Pepper. I'm not laughing at you. That is common among slayers. The first month or so they don't have any idea how to handle their strength. I can't tell you how many things I repaired cause a new slayer miscalculated. It was more the familiarity of having someone talk about that." He assured her, smiling as they walked. Xander had the feeling she needed to talk, so he walked slow and took unnecessary hallways to give them more time.

"Oh, OH," she said looking suddenly thoughtful. "So, that isn't unusual?"

"For someone new to the whole superpowers gig? No. May I make a suggestion?" He offered, not wanting to overstep his bounds, not that he had any idea what they were.

"Please?" It almost sounded like a plea, which was so un-Pepper like it made him shiver.

"Train with Safira." He held up his hand at her instant nose wrinkling. "I'm not talking what you've seen her and Natasha do. I'm talking learning how to hit and how to defend yourself. If what you're saying is correct you're really strong. And Safira can withstand you hitting her. Once you learn to judge your punches, you'll find everything else is easier. After that, go learn the Japanese tea ceremony."

Xander smiled softly at her bewildered look.

"I know, weird right? But the entire ceremony is about precise measured movements with fragile china. It will teach you the delicacy you're used to. Try it."

"Ah," she fell silent after that sound until they reached the elevator. "Xander, you are a very peculiar man, but I believe you might be one of the best men I know. And that is saying something."

A spurt of panic rose up in his chest. "Trust me, I'm nothing special. You don't know the dark I've done," he protested.

"Maybe not, but I know the man you are. I rather like that man. I added to the gift you requested. They are waiting in the girl's rooms. I hope they enjoy. And please do bring them to dinner tonight, I'll order enough for three Thor's. That should solve the food problem."

"They'd like that. I'll see you tonight. You want Jolie too?"

"Of course. I like her. She is blunt and brilliant. And frankly she can keep up with Tony. If she was two decades older, I might be worried." She grinned, warmth spreading over her face. "But as it is, I just have an employment offer on constant update waiting for her."

Xander laughed as the elevator doors slide open. "Then tonight."

"Thank you again, Xander."

"Door is always open if you need to talk. I'm a good listener, and I get the weird aspects of super herodom."

"Oh, I'm no hero," she protested.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." He laughed again as the door slid shut on her confused face.

"I have a car waiting for you, Xander." Jarvis smooth voice informed as the elevator slid downward. Each time he responded something in Xander relaxed to know he was okay, that nothing bad had happened to him.

"You know I regard you as a friend, right?" He said, his mouth per usual activating without thought.

"You have mentioned that before, however I am not sure how the friendship works, when I am not real."

Xander snorted. "You're real enough, trust me. You've got lots of friends. Humanity isn't an advantage in that area, in fact most of the time it might be a disadvantage."

"Interesting view point. But what prompted that comment, Xander?"

"Buffy, Faith, and Willow are coming to visit. They are my friends. For all that they may not always act like it, trust me on this, and don't over react to anything they might do."

Two of the three had not been happy when he stayed after the invasion and they had been even less happy when he was stationed here permanently. Though in his darkest of dark spots Xander suspected at least part of it on Buffy's part had been the whole New York thing and she wasn't stationed here.

"Is there a reason to suspect your friends may cross parameters I have set to define friendship?"

Xander shrugged, hunching a little bit. "Maybe. Look, I've known these women a long time, just accept certain things may not be as they seem, and ask me about them first, okay?"

"Very well, Xander. I will not act without querying you first. But I must point out, your warning me has raised my concern level."

He sighed a bit. "Family knows how to hurt you the best. It is a long-standing tradition. Don't worry about it."

"As you wish."

Before Xander could make a Wesley reference, his phone rang. He glanced at it and grinned.

"Hey, Maria. You enjoy your Christmas present?" She had sent him a collection of books all about myths, old stuff that he had, but still he enjoyed the thought.

"I did. I think I actually quit breathing I laughed so hard at some points. And I plan on taking you up on the tickets you sent. Am I allowed to share the video?"

"I gave it to you, so it is up to you to do with as you wish. And any time. Well, any time after this next week. Family coming in from out of town." He said as he leaned against the wall in the garage, not getting into the car just yet. Her Christmas present had been a collections reel of all his interactions with Fury. At this point the man got aggravated just looking at him. It was amusing. That and some tickets to go ice skating.

"Awesome, I know a few people I can bribe with getting to watch that. Fury is pretending it doesn't exist." He could hear the smirk in her voice as she talked. "But I wanted to say thanks. Call me when you're free."

"Will do." He hung up and got in the car, taking a deep breath to steel himself, then drove out into New York traffic, wishing he had caved and gotten a driver, but there was one major advantage to him being the one driving. It lowered the assault level until after they arrived.

Parking, he headed into the terminal, waiting near the baggage claim, as he had little doubt they all had bags. He could see them coming by the hole in the crowd headed his way. The hole that surrounded three striking women.

Buffy had matured and it looked damn good on her, though he didn't even feel a shred of arousal there. She'd allowed her blond to darken and her clothes spoke of style but comfort. She moved with the assurance of a tiger and took the lead even now.

Faith had just gotten hotter, and Xander swallowed hard. She still stirred him, but that ship had long sailed, no matter that her wardrobe had only become harder, sharper. He paused at that thought. After being around Pepper and Natasha for the first time he recognized that armor, and he wondered what was wrong, that she was shouting a warning to the world. That bit of information he filed away, unsure if maybe he was misreading it.

And Willow, was his bestest friend and sister. Still adorable and more like a hyper active child, regardless of the power that flowed through her veins. She still saw brightness in the world, and way down deep he hoped she never lost that, because he knew damn well he would be the one they called to make everyone else safe.

"Hello, gorgeous ladies," he said in a voice they wouldn't miss, but not so loud everyone in the area would stare at him.

"Xander!" Came from two voices who launched themselves at him, and he found himself in a

Buffy/Willow sandwich as Faith came strolling up behind.

"Well, hey, boytoy. You're looking damn fine." Her husky voice drawled, and Xander was glad he was being hugged by the two women, or he might have flinched. She sounded wrong, like each word was being said over broken glass, and he couldn't tell why. Nothing on her face gave it away and when Buffy and Willow pulled back, he didn't see any worry in their faces.

_What happened? I knew she broke up with Robin, but I've never seen her this raw._

"Why thank you. You ladies ready to go to your accommodations?"

"Luggage first!" Buffy chirped looking like she and Willow were about to be bouncing off the walls.

"Um, how much caffeine have you two had."

"Three mochas, each." Faith said, right next to his ear, so close he could feel her breath.

This time he did flinch, but covered it up by moving towards the belt that just started moving.

"We'd better grab it and head out. You ladies get to ride in style."

With teasing and joking, they got their bags, Xander carrying Willow's while Faith and Buffy had their own with no issue at all, they headed to the car. There was collective oohing as they saw the SUV he drove. Getting them in and settled he drove back, stress gnawed at him as he watched Faith.

All of them had been so busy talking, something about a store they had each visited in England at one point, they didn't notice him turning into the garage. While they could be pains, all of them had enough sense to realize he needed to focus with only one eye when driving, especially in New York traffic.

Xander ushered them into the elevator, his smile only partially forced. As soon as they got in, it started gliding upwards and Buffy looked around curious.

"Where is it going? You didn't push anything."

Willow lit up. "Wait, Jarvis?"

"Yes, Miss Rosenberg?"

She squeed so sharply that the other three in the car all winced.

"We're staying at the Avenger's tower?!" Her voice was at least three octaves higher than normal.

Xander blinked at them a bit confused. "Yeah. I've got a suite for you. I do live here."

"You what?" Came from all three women who fixed their eyes on him.

He found himself pushing back against the wall of the elevator as the force of their glare hit him and they all moved forward a bit.

"Yes? Didn't Giles tell you?"

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "No. He told me you had become friendly with Stark and one of the Avengers, and that you had a good deal on a place for you and the slayers, but not that you were staying here."

_Dammit, Giles._

This explained why they had been so patient, expecting to be put up in a motel, or sleep on the floor.

_I'm going to kill you_

"Well, yes. Here, I got you a suite." Jarvis either had excellent timing or took mercy on Xander by making the elevator go a bit faster and the door chimed and slide open revealing a hallway, with a door one down clicking open. "Here, let's go see it."

He scurried out the elevator, and yes he fricking scurried, anything to get their irate focus off of him. Pushing through the door, he stopped and blinked and then looked again.

"Jarvis, is this the right place?"

"Yes, Xander. Ms. Potts organized it herself."

_I owe that woman a basket of the most decadent food ever._

The suite was a large living room with a mini kitchen on one side, and four doors. Three of the doors had a name on them. It was elegant, simple, and screamed money.

He turned to see the women walking through the door and the smirk drop off their faces as they looked around.

"We're staying here?" Faith asked, for a second seeming young and fragile.

Xander forced calm cheer on his face. "Yep, and I do believe your Xmas presents are in your rooms."

He got three wide eyed looks, then they tore towards their rooms, each door had a name on it. The squeals of joy made him sag in relief. Even as they came out of the rooms, the looks on their faces matching astonishment.

Buffy held two pairs of Jimmy Choo's in her size, and an envelope.

Willow held a first edition of Pride and Prejudice, and an envelope.

Faith had custom biker boots, with daggers on the sides, and an envelope.

They all looked at him demanding an answer.

"Well, the gifts are from Giles, me, and the other slayers. The envelopes are thank you's from us and Tony and Pepper. Um, I'm not positive what they are though." He admitted.

Buffy spoke, her voice a whisper. "Xander, these are appointments with the stylist for Pepper Potts and a fifteen thousand dollar budget."

"That is good right?" He'd known all his ladies loved clothes and looking good, and Pepper just always seemed to radiate taste, so when he'd asked her she'd set this up. But that budget was significantly more than he had provided.

Faith looked at him, the attitude faded. "Xander, that's incredible. And the appointment is tomorrow."

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Well, cool. Um, you've been invited to dinner tonight. So, want some time to unpack and relax? The fridge is fully stocked and if you need anything just ask Jarvis. Speaking of which, when is dinner?"

"Six pm, Xander." Jarvis replied smoothly.

"So, we good?"

After a minute of glances, which worried Xander, they finally chimed yes, and he fled again, not speaking until the elevator doors slid shut.

"Jarvis, is Natasha here today, and would she be willing to talk to me?"

There was a moment of silence, which he knew meant Jarvis was communicating with Natasha, but it still made him nervous.

The elevator started to move even as Jarvis replied. "Yes, Ms. Romanoff will see you. She asked that you come to her apartment."

For a second Xander thought about bailing, what was it about this woman that scared the daylights out of him not on a physical level but something deeper, more primal? Even his hyena bowed before her.

No, it had to be done. She was the only woman he knew who could go toe-to-toe with Faith both physically and with attitude. Faith acted the ultimate bad ass, Natasha was.

He got into the elevator and tried to piece together exactly why he wanted to talk to Natasha and explain what bugged him, but he figured he was going to make a fool of himself. Walking out one of the two doors visible from the elevator opened and Clint stepped out.

"Xander, come on in," Clint's voice was friendly as he waved him into the apartment. He tried not to be obvious, but while all of them had been up in his for various meals, he'd never been into theirs. The layout was similar to his place, but all the colors were darker, muted, and he could smell gun oil, cinnamon, and sweat through the apartment. The cinnamon smell at least was explained when Clint led him over to the kitchen where Natasha was pulling out a tray of cinnamon rolls.

"Want one?" She offered and Xander had to blink, even as he took the proffered roll.

"I never had you in mind as a baker," he said, then stuffed a bite in his mouth wondering if this would be his last meal.

Clint snorted. "She isn't. I made them, she was just pulling them out of the oven. Her skills set doesn't really run to the kitchen."

Natasha shot him a mock glare. "I'll have you know I'm very skilled with a frying pan."

"Yes, killing people with them." Clint shot back, completely unrepentant as he helped himself to a cinnamon roll.

They were really good, Xander noted. He'd have to get the recipe.

Natasha leaned back and looked at him, her eyes that flat hardness that always made him want to duck and cover.

"So, what brings you here? I haven't heard of anything that would require my skill set. Has Maria mentioned something to you?" Her voice was quiet even as she delicately lifted a piece of roll to her mouth.

Xander tried to figure out how to phrase his question. He just knew he needed to talk to Natasha about this, but not really how to explain why he thought something was wrong.

"My friends are here for a short vacation, a week in New York, and Buffy and Willow are happy and excited. They're normal, with everything that includes." He took another bite of the cinnamon roll aware of Nat and Clint both watching him, their faces giving nothing away. "Faith is here, and something is wrong. I mean she looks the same, acts the same, but it's like she is brittle. I feel like she is about to shatter and cut everyone, but I can't tell you why I think or feel that. "

Xander broke the roll into bits as the two spies waited. "Natasha, you are the only person I know who can be blunt about sex and violence and understand how the two of them can go together. Faith has always been gung-ho, all about the sex, the violence, the violent sex. But she needs help, but I can't even figure out what is wrong, much less how to help. Would you be willing to at least talk to her, to see if you can tell me what is wrong?" He knew he didn't have any right to ask that, but the ticking bomb that was Faith echoed in his head in a way that he couldn't shake.

"Jarvis, are the girls going up to have dinner with Pepper and Tony tonight?"

"Yes, Ms. Romanoff, they are."

"Excellent, please let Pepper know that Clint and I will also be attending."

A moment's pause, during which all three of them tensed slightly and he came back. "She says you are more than welcome, and Bruce will also be attending, if nothing else to occupy Jolie."

Xander had to flash a smile at that. His tiniest slayer was blossoming, and he thought he had even heard her laugh when talking to Bruce in his lab as he walked in.

Natasha turned cool eyes on him. "I'll have dinner with you. I don't promise anything else."

Xander shrugged. "Even that is more than I had a right to expect. Thanks." He stood and nodded at the rolls. "Those are damn good, Clint. Feel free to bring them with you next time you decide I should make you breakfast."

Clint laughed at that and Xander headed out to tell his slayers about dinner tonight and to see if he had a decent pair of jeans to wear tonight.


	2. Chapter 2 - Revelations

A few minutes before dinner he knocked on the door to the suite where the girls were staying. Jolie and Safira had already headed up, so he was escorting his friends. The door swung open with Buffy standing there in a simple skater style dress and heels, and he hated that he knew what the cut of the dress was.

Exposure to Pepper and Natasha however had improved his manners. "You look wonderful, Buffy. Are the others ready to go?"

Buffy blinked at him once then smiled. "I think so." She turned and nodded, then stepped into the hall. Willow followed in a flowing sundress in yellow's and greens, looking young and happy, Faith however made him blink.

Technically she was dressed nice, the leather pants high quality and the silk blouse fit her exquisitely. She wore heels that could double as daggers they were so high and sharp. But there was no bra on, and he could tell her nipples were pierced and when she turned he could see the cleft of her ass the back of the shirt was so deep. Her makeup was that of a woman looking for trouble, and he tried to keep his worry off his face. Even on her worst days she had never dressed this aggressively.

"All of you look incredible. Safira and Jolie will meet us up there."

That caused all three of them to stutter to a stop for a minute, and he suspected that derailed whatever Faith had been about to say.

"How is she?" Willow asked, her teeth chewing on her top lip.

The walked into the elevator as Xander framed his answer. "She's better. I don't know that she'll ever trust easily. But she is much lighter than when she came." It was the best way he could put it. "You'll see in a minute."

The elevator deposited them in the foyer of the penthouse and Xander could smell the food and hear the conversation as he led them into the main area. The group of people all stopped and looked at the four of them, and Xander recognized the carefully blank expressions many of them wore the second their eyes landed on the group, but he doubted any of his friends would catch anything beyond the polite welcomes.

"I'd like to introduce Buffy Summers - Slayer, Faith Lehane - Slayer, and Willow Rosenberg," he paused and looked at her. "You still going by White Witch or has it shortened down to just The Witch?"

"Xander," she squeaked, a flush creeping up her face. "I'm just Willow, you're best friend since kindergarten." She slapped him on the arm and he smirked. It took a few minutes but he introduced Steve, Clint, Natasha, Tony, Bruce and Pepper to the women.

Safira came over to talk to Buffy, while Jolie glanced up, half smiled, but then went back to the conversation she was having with Bruce, DNA strands being manipulated on a tablet. He could have kissed Pepper when she walked over, a warm welcome smile on her face.

"Faith, I'm so glad to get to meet you. I can't wait to see how Jorge takes your striking beauty and makes you the person you want to be."

Faith blinked a bit taken aback, unsure how to respond as Pepper slipped her arm into Faith's and steered her towards Natasha.

Xander wandered over to Tony, who still was taking it easy after the surgery. He leaned against the bar drinking something that actually looked like it might not be 100% alcohol.

"I don't suppose you'd make me one of those?" Xander asked turning back and watching the room. Willow had drifted over to Bruce and Jolie, but he could tell it was well above her head, but she at least understood more than most. Buffy, Steve, and Safira were talking quietly and he'd bet money it would be about tactics and various fights.

Pepper had left Faith with Natasha, and she drifted back towards Tony with a soft smile on her face. She kissed him after he handed Xander the drink, and leaned back to watch with them.

"Thanks," Xander said. His voice low, too many people in the room had excellent hearing.

"Not an issue. Though I suspect I know part of what is going on." Tony said just as quietly his hand wrapping around Pepper's waist and pulling her close.

Xander fought to keep the surprise from his face. He wanted to ask, but now wasn't the best time, later, when people weren't there he would follow up.

Pepper laughed and glared at Tony, pulling away. "Quit tickling me." Her clear voice carried as she stalked towards the table. "Everyone, I believe food is ready."

Clint emerged from dining room, wiping his hands on a towel. "Yes it is, come on and eat."

It took a few minutes of chair pulling, arranging, chattering, but soon enough everyone had loaded plates. The Slayers and Steve making the rest of them look like they were on diets. Though Pepper had a decent amount of food on her plate also. The Extremis virus also made it so she didn't gain weight. Natasha had muttered once that it must be nice, but no one was willing to go through almost exploding just for that side effect.

The food was excellent, Pepper knew the best restaurants, and the conversation was general until Buffy looked up, her eyes snagging Tony.

"So I hear you had some excitement over Christmas. I'm so glad you didn't drag Xander into that. He's been hurt enough by being fray adjacent with our crap. If he got hurt it would have devastated us." Her voice was perky and conversational.

Half the table froze, Safira's knife bent as she held it, but Xander shook his head slightly and she subsided. He knew neither Natasha or Clint had missed his signal.

"Oh, well. Um, thanks?" Tony looked at her confused even as he darted a glance at Xander. Xander just shrugged and took another bite.

"Well, I mean, I totally get not including Xander, he breaks and doesn't have any of the special skills some of the others have. He's wonderful, and the idea of him being in danger makes us nervous. But I mean you had Dr. Banner here, and I've seen him on TV, he's scary. Then the Captain. I can't imagine anything he couldn't overcome." She let a soft smile appear on her face, flirting just the lightest bit. Steve shifted uncomfortably, but Safira just rolled her eyes and pulled his hand onto her lap. Buffy grinned, wide and bright, but then shifted back to Tony, her eyes sharp. "So, I'm confused. I thought the entire point of having a team, especially a team of people that can't really get hurt, was to have them backing you up. I mean I've got Faith, who is hell on heels, and Willow who does the heavy lifting when I need it. I learned the hard way not to leave my team behind." She took a bit of food, but her eyes never left Tony's. "So I can't figure out why, when you're at least a decade older than me, you haven't figured that out yet."

"I, well, I , they were after me and…" Tony started trying to answer, caught off balance and getting upset when Pepper's peal of laughter grabbed everyone's attention.

"Dear god, call the newspapers. Tony Stark has been put in his place by a woman young enough to be his daughter. This is wonderful." Her eyes bright as she leaned toward him, smiling, but this time there was steel under her tone. "So maybe next time, you'll call for help, instead of trying to be the hero all by himself."

"Okay, okay. Point made. Next time I'll 'phone a friend' and get someone else to help save our asses. Happy?" He growled, eyes narrowed and the slightest pout on his face.

"Ecstatic." Pepper leaned closer and kissed him. "Cause you know how I reward intelligent men." Everyone at the table heard that, half of them started coughing, others just grinned. Buffy smirked a bit, casting a wink at Xander who had to force himself to smile in return. She had no idea how causally insulting she had been to him, and knew she had meant to help.

Save me from my friends.

He caught Faith watching all of this with her trademark smirk, even as Jolie and Bruce were in their own little world of talking. But the smirk seemed forced somehow, and he knew he had to talk to her.

"Safira, Steve, why don't you guys show Buffy the training area. I bet she'd love to spar with you two later this week. Faith, you want to come see where the girls are living?" He said as everyone finished their deserts. He already knew Willow wanted to play with the new VR system Tony had been talking to her about most of the evening.

Faith shrugged, a lazy sexual movement. "Sure, might as well see your crash pad. Maybe I can help you break it in." Her look was lascivious, but no one reacted. Safira already knew he had slept with Faith as did Willow and Buffy, and they were used to her comments. The Avengers were old hands at keeping their reactions off their faces.

The part broke up and Natasha and Clint appeared at his side. "We figured we'd come with, besides Clint here has an idea about your meals problem he thinks he can solve." Natasha said idly as they walked towards the elevator.

"Cool, cause really the place is getting crowded at meals of late."

"What, you a short order cook now too?" Faith asked, a sly look on her face. "needed something to help pay the bills? Always said you could rent yourself out, I'm sure some of the older slayers would be more than happy to keep you company, if you don't mind something that isn't nubile."

Xander flinched a bit at that comment, but he didn't know if it was from the words or the bitterness underlying her words.

Instead he forced a smile. "Nah, I just seem to have half the tower pop in for meals, and the kitchen and eating area isn't that big."

"Jarvis, will you stop at the common area, please?" Clint asked as the doors slid close.

"Of course," Jarvis's smooth voice said.

Faith snorted. "I can't believe you got your own Giles. He lecture you about appropriate behavior too? And ignore anything else?"

Pieces were starting to click into place and as the door slide open and Faith stalked out, he glanced at Natasha who nodded at him.

"So, what's this place?" Xander asked, ignoring Faith's comments.

"It was supposed to be an area for everyone to gather. As you can see there is a large amount of seating for watching TV or gaming. A much larger kitchen, with bar seating for six, and a table that can hold at least 20. I was thinking what if you switch your morning routine down here, and it would give the girls a place to come and hang out and not bug others. You know we love them, and enjoy having the around. We haven't used it much, as with just one or two of us, it feels too empty." Clint explained all of this waving his hands.

Xander heard Faith murmur something, but he didn't hear the words. Natasha however did and stiffened. She moved her hand, and Clint bent near Xander.

"What ever Nat does next, just roll with it." His voice so low Xander barely heard it, but he nodded his head just a teeny bit as he looked around the kitchen.

"You know this might work. Give Safira and Steve a place to go also. He's still awfully uptight about anyone knowing she's in his place. "

"What? All American thinks he's too good for our girl?" Faith actually sounded outraged there for a moment, and it gave Xander a spurt of relief.

"Nah, he's just uncomfortable with people knowing they are having sex. I think he's torn between proposing and breaking up, but I'm leaving that between them. Safira is a big girl."

Nat strolled over, moved between Xander and Clint. She slipped her hands into the back pockets of their jeans, so one hand was on each other asses. "Yeah, and she can have Steve. I have my hands full right here."

Xander would have jumped out of his skin if Clint hadn't warned him. Instead he watched Faith and sudden snarl that flashed across her face, then disappeared.

"What, realized that Xander isn't enough for one woman? Doesn't surprise me. Or maybe he just likes to drive stick too."

Xander tensed and started to respond, but the nails sinking into his ass froze the words in his throat. He'd never seen Faith this brittle, even in the worst of Sunnydale she'd always had a bit of indifference, but this time it felt like he looked at a raw wound, open and weeping. How long had this been going on and why hadn't anyone noticed?

_She broke up with Robin what a month ago? Right before I came to New York, I remember hearing about it as a I was packing, but I figured they had just drifted apart because she had been doing a lot of traveling._

"What's the matter jealous, cause you can't keep a man?" Natasha snarked, and in the reflection of the microwave Xander saw her catlike smile.

"Why you red-headed bitch," Faith jerked up right, and moved towards Natasha. "He didn't know how good he had it, instead sniffing after those young things. Telling me I looked a bit too worn and couldn't handle him. Well, let's see how you can handle me bitch." Natasha had started moving as soon as Faith stood up, liquid grace.

_Ah shit, they're going to destroy this place and I just found it._

Instead Natasha moved inside Faith's wild swing tapping her face lightly, and Xander realized there were tears on Faith's face.

"What happened, what did this man do to you?"

Every swing Faith made Natasha didn't block, she just flowed away, sometime barely, but she didn't attack except to tap a body part with a light touch, almost a caress. She let Faith spend her emotions, keeping her in one area. With a wracking sob Faith's legs gave, and Xander moved, catching her as she buckled, wrapping his arms around her as something deep in her broke.

_I__'ll kill him, he didn't need to hurt her like this._

Xander had no doubt who was the cause of these tears but he needed to hear it.

"Faith, talk to me please?"

Natasha had grabbed her at the same time, sinking to the floor with them, as Clint busied himself in the kitchen.

Faith buried her head in her knees, refusing to look at them, but he held her and waited, and she started to talk.

"I thought it was going well, I slayed, he watched. Then I came home early from a trip, a total dud, no big bads at all… and he had one of the new slayers in our room, her top off, his lips on her tits. I stood there looking at them, and he lifted his head looking at me, and he said," her voice cut off and and she choked, "he said that he needed a little variety in his diet, and that I was getting a bit long in tooth and worn. I couldn't blame him for wanting to sample the dessert bar." Her voice broke, and Faith, the strong powerful slayer, buried her head in his shoulder and cried out the last words softly. "I loved him."

"I am going to skin him alive," Xander swore his voice low and intent.

"He's not worth it," Natasha said, her voice flat. "Leave him to me."

"No." Xander's voice was flat and he looked at Natasha. "This is our mess, our problem. He also didn't investigate the issue with Jolie, and Safira has never liked him." His eyes narrowed. "I think I need to ask some questions. We need to fix this." Xander turned and kissed the top of Faith's head.

Faith looked up, her war paint running and she seemed small, and Faith had always come across larger than life.

"I was being a bitch. Not your fault he's an ass. Hell, after the way I treated you, you should be enjoying this." Faith sighed and pulled away. Xander let her, accepting comfort had never come easy to her, and it felt like they had lanced a boil in her soul.

"Faith, we were young and stupid, and fighting for our lives. I'd never take pleasure in your pain."

She cast him a look that sliced deep, but before he could respond she turned to Natasha."You're fast. And I was sloppy."

"Yes, you were. Want to be better?"

Faith tilted her head. "You think you can teach me?"

"No. I know I can." Natasha smiled. "Men aren't worth the tears." She reached out a hand. "Want to change clothes and I'll show you what I can. You have power and speed, but your form is sloppier than Safira's was."

Faith bristled, then her eyes narrowed. "Was?"

"Her form isn't sloppy anymore."

The intent look that Xander knew flashed back on her face. "Let's go, I need to change."

Faith stalked out and Natasha followed a half smile on her face.

When the elevator doors closed on them Xander turned to Clint, frowning. "Did I see that right? Was Natasha flirting with her?"

Clint shrugged, pulling open cupboard doors. "Probably. She likes a challenge."

Xander turned back, his mind drifting to the thought of a naked Faith and Natasha, even as he tried to stop it.

"I wouldn't."

"Huh? Wouldn't what?"

"Think about them together." Clint flashed him a half smile. "She'll know, and you'll pay. And then she'll tell Faith."

"That I thought things?"

"Yep. So just don't. Think about Maria instead."

Xander rolled his eye. "I'm human. I try to not be inappropriate, but really, male, human, stupid."

"Just saying, don't." Clint smirked at him. "But what about my idea, of moving your cooking down here?"

Derailed a bit, Xander looked around and started poking too. "Hmm, dinners and breakfasts would be easier here. Then maybe I could just keep snack foods and lunches up there. I swear those two plus Steve, I can't keep up with the food."

They spent the next hour looking over the area, talking to Jarvis and making plans.


	3. Chapter 3 - Consequences

Buffy bounced into the common room, glowing with excitement. Xander and Clint had been waylaid by a mostly friendly competition playing Halo. They were surprisingly well matched.

"That work out room rocks. And then Faith and Natasha came in, and I just had to stay and watch. Natasha is one of the best teachers I've seen. I've glad she's a good guy, cause taking her down would be hard and painful. She hits like a vampire, maybe harder."

She swirled around the room as she talked, halting at the fridge. "Is there anything in here sweet?"

"Open it and look. Help yourself." Clint said not taking his eyes off the screen, but Xander knew damn well he knew where every person was.

The elevator dinged and Willow came in, a half smile on her face. "Jarvis told me you would all be here, and he was correct."

"I am rarely wrong when it comes to the location of people in Stark Tower, Miss Rosenberg."

"Jarvis, call me Willow. I keep looking for my mom."

"Is this obsession with associating proper forms of address with their parents normal?"

Xander and Willow glanced at each other and shrugged.

"For us? Yeah. Our parents weren't the greatest." Xander said as he put the controller down, Clint had just blown off his head with a shot Xander was pretty sure shouldn't be possible in the game. Real life he could believe Clint could make the shot, but the game should have yelled foul.

_Wait, I wonder._

"Jarvis, has any custom programming been inserted into the Halo software."

Clint froze at the question.

"Yes, Xander. Sir wrote some specific code to allow some of the shots the game logic labeled as not possible."

Xander looked at Clint his eye narrowed. "Just for that…" he paused and Clint got a worried look, "I'm going to tell Safira and Jolie about your cinnamon rolls, and that you agreed to bring them to breakfast for the next week."

"That is cruel. Well played." Clint sighed. "Jarvis, will you order the supplies I need to make seven double batches of my rolls please."

"Order placed."

With the game done, Xander turned his focus to the girls. "Buffy, Willow, can you come here?"

"Sure."

They wandered over, Buffy with a yogurt in her hand, Willow with some water and they both flopped on the couch.

"Enjoying yourself so far?"

"Yes," Buffy gushed. "We have the appointment with the stylist tomorrow. I can't wait, this will be so much fun. A real New York wardrobe. I'm going to wow them at some of the meetings."

Buffy had been dealing with more politics, and it amazed him how many people fell for her dumb blond routine.

"So, what's up with Faith?" He tried to keep his voice casual, and not stare at them too hard.

Buffy shrugged. "She's Faith, all attitude no sense. I think she and Robin might have broken up, but that's only cause I've seen her coming out of her room instead of where they were staying. Heck we were about to reassign her room."

"I think they did." Willow said, fiddling with her phone. "I heard some rumors about him asking someone else out. But really I've been so busy, and it isn't like Faith talks to us. I figured she got tired of only having sex with him and went to find some other flavor." Willow grinned at him. "Be careful or she might decided to go slumming again and hit you up again."

Clint had gotten up to rummage int he fridge, and he saw him stiffen at that, but Xander forced a smile. "Ah, I don't think I'm in her league."

Buffy snorted. "Yeah, she'd need a ladder to get up to you. But still, she's still the saem old Faith, use them and walk away. I wonder how upset Robin is." Buffy chewed her lip a bit frowning.

Xander took in a deep breath, focused what he needed to do.

"I'm sure he's fine. So I'm sure you two are ready for bed, and I've got some stuff I need to take care of. Enjoy tomorrow?"

"Oh we will." Buffy sprang from the couch and hugged him, Willow following with a half hug, still focusing mroe on her phone than anything else. The elevator doors slide open, and swallowed them.

Xander sagged back on the couch. Clint walked out handing him a cider. Beer never tasted good after his childhood, but the hard cider tasted nice.

"I don't think I like your friends much," Clint commented as he dropped into another chair. "How can they not see a friend is hurting."

Xander sighed as he took a drink, thinking. "That is a long story. To be honest the three of them aren't friends, not really. I just didn't realize so much baggage still resided between Faith and them."

"That may be but they don't have much respect for you either." Clint pointed out, playing with the bottle in his hands.

Xander sighed, but didn't address it. With short words he explain Faith, her act, her age, Willow's jealousy, the fall into the Mayor's clutches, trying to kill Buffy, and then the body swap.

"Oof. Point, there is a lot between them."

"Yeah. But, I could never hate her. Even after the way she treated me, she always struck me as wounded, but they all saw her act as reality. I guess with my childhood I got good at seeing past the facade we put up for people." Xander barked out a bitter laugh. "After all, I pretended my home life was normal." He focused back on the bottle.

"What are you going to do about the jerkwad?" Clint didn't look at him and Xander sighed.

"In reality, breaking up with your girlfriend isn't a crime, and to be honest I've never been his biggest fan, nor of them two of them together, but it wasn't my business. I think he needs to have the shit kicked out of him, but Faith could do that with one hand tied behind her back if she wanted. I actually have a bigger concern." Xander focused on picking at the label on the bottle. "Don't make me swear to this, but I'm twenty-nine and Buffy and Willow are six to nine months younger. Faith is about two years younger I think. So figure twenty-six? Robin is at least thirty-eight, if not older." He looked up at Clint his mouth twisted to the side.

"While I could tolerate him with Faith, she's been around the world a time or two. Most of the girls we get are a minimum of five years younger than Faith. Most are well under eighteen. So the idea that he is poaching from the pool of women is causing me a great deal of concern. Granted if he is only hitting on the over eighteen year olds, it is legal, but dammit he's in charge of what is essentially a boarding school. I have a huge issue with this."

Clint leaned back, his eyes narrowed as he looked off in the distance. "Ah, I see the problem. You are upset about what he did to Faith, but you're freaked about who he is finding as a replacement."

Xander snorted. "Does that make me a bad friend?"

"No. You know she can take care of herself. And I think anything else than how he did it would not have shattered her so badly."

"Most likely. She's strong but fragile, and she needs to be cherished, unfortunately that isn't the men she ends up with. Or women from what I've seen."

Clint shot him a look. "She bi?"

Xander shrugged. "I'd say she is more equal opportunity. But that may also be part of her act, I just don't know, and the water has been muddy enough between us, then with the fall of Sunnydale, Anya dying, me going to Africa," he signed and drained the cider. "She wasn't one of my priorities."

Clint shrugged. "She's an adult, and she didn't need you. Why should she have been?"

Xander's smile hurt on his face as much as it hurt his heart. "She's one of my girls, and I should have been there for her. I let perceptions, and others perceptions affect me too much. Just proof how much of a zeppo I am at times I guess."

Jarvis interrupted before anymore could be said.

"Xander, Ms Romanoff and Ms Lehane are on their way up. I have sent for Doctor Banner."

"Why? What's wrong?"

_Oh god,please don't have let them have tried to kill each other._

"From the scans I suspect simple fractures in both participants." Jarvis' dry voice heralded the ping of the elevator as Faith and Natasha limped in. Faith had one leg off the floor and Natasha cradled her right arm, even as she helped Faith into the room.

Xander and Clint both sprang to attention, and before either woman could protest they found themselves lifted up and settled down on the couch and recline.

"Why, boytoy, I didn't know you'd gotten so buff. You hiding things?" Faith attempted flirt was ruined by the white line around her mouth and the slight crack when he set her down jostling her leg. Natasha just glared at Clint, but he ignored her as he went to get something from the kitchen.

"Nope, just the same Xander as always," he said with a grin. "So what happened?"

"She's fast, wicked fast, and I struck a bit to hard. Which would have be great if I connected with her, and not the floor."

"And Faith is stronger than I expected. Even as she kicked, I jumped and blocked her arm strike with my arm. I think she might hit harder than Cap, or he's been pulling his punches again." A deadly look crossed Natasha's face.

_Ooh, Cap you better run._

The ping of the elevator, and Bruce walked in, a medical bag in his hand and a rueful look on his face.

"I keep telling you guys, I am not that kind of doctor." Clint and Natasha both smiled.

"Yet you keep patching us back together."

"Only because all of you are damn hard to kill," he said with a smile. "Well, lets see if Tony's latest toy works."

He pulled a large Plexiglas looking rectangle out of his bag and touched it holding it over Natasha's arm. It flickered to light, showed her arm, then dissolved the skin, then the muscle, and Bruce tapped it when it hit bone, and the resolution froze.

"Yep, a fracture, right there." Bruce pointed to a line on the screen across Natasha's ulna. "Given your healing rate, let me wrap it firmly and don't use it for a week." He shot a look at her. "And I mean it. No using it for a week."

Natasha rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Fine, I'll make Clint wait on me."

Clint walked back in, two glasses of water and a handful of pills. "Here Tylenol-3. Nothing major."

Natasha snatched them from him, and took the pills without a word.

Bruce moved over using the same machine to look at Faith. "Yep, fracture across your tibia. How fast do you heal?"

Faith shrugged. "Wrap it, will probably be gone or mostly healed by tomorrow."

Half the room arched eyebrows at that.

"Damn, you are almost at Steve levels. I knew Safira healed fast, but flesh isn't the same as bone."

Faith shrugged. "We've found as we get older we heal faster. Buffy and I have to make sure we set breaks within 20 minutes or they fuse And re-breaking sucks demon balls."

Half the room snorted at that, even Bruce, who worked on wrapping the arm and leg tightly to make sure there was support.

"Come let me check on it before you take off the wraps. This thing is pretty good after all. One for Tony I guess."

"Come on Faith, I'll take you to your room." Xander said as he bent and lifted Faith up.

"Xander," she almost squeaked. "I can walk."

"No you can't. You need to heal, you have fashion tomorrow, and no reason to. It isn't that far." As he walked to the elevator, Faith in his arms, her face flushing red, he called back. "Breakfast here tomorrow, 7-9. Clint, you're brining cinnamon rolls."

"Oh come on," Clint whined, but Xander just grinned and walked into the elevator.

A minute later he was at the door of the girls suite. Jarvis clicked it open as the walked towards it, and he walked in carrying Faith. Buffy and Willow were curled up in the seating area chattering, but both rose with frowns when he walked in with Faith.

"What happened? Is everything okay?"

"Let me down," Faith hissed, and Xander did, setting her on a couch.

"Yep, she and Natasha were sparing and managed to crack some bones."

"What, she got to spar with Natasha, and I didn't?" Buffy said, a hint of a pout in her voice.

Xander arched an eyebrow at her. "Because yes, that is the important part. Two people got hurt, but you didn't get to fight someone."

Buffy flushed and looked at Faith. "You going to be okay?"

"Sure, just a crack. Be all healed up by tomorrow. But I think I'm headed to bed."

"Ah," Xander raised a finger. "No weight on it."

"I'll help her." Buffy offered, walking over and easily pulling Faith up, catching her weight.

"Good. I'll see you all for breakfast tomorrow. Jarvis knows where."

"Okay, night Xander," the three of the chorused as he let himself out. The happy goofy smile that seemed more fake by the day faded as he walked to the elevator.

"My place, please, Jarvis." He said, still lost in thought.

"Of course, Xander."

His place was quiet and he glanced at the wall, blinking when he saw nine-thirty. Later than he thought. A light in the study area drew him, and he wandered over to see Safira working on something in the little alcove.

"Hey, Safira. How was your sparring with Buffy?"

She looked up at him a smile splitting her face, then it fell.

"Yeah, I want to talk to you about that."


	4. Chapter 4

"Sure," Xander dropped into the seat looking at Safira. "What's up?"

"Why does Buffy hate you so much? All she did was talk about how weak you are, and that I have to make sure you don't get hurt, and keep you from danger. She talks about you like you're a six-year-old who thinks he's a super hero. Doesn't she know who you are?"

Xander gave her a half smile as he leaned back. "And who would that be?"

"The Demon Slayer, the Dark Vengeance, The White Man in the Shadows, the One Who Sees." Safira rattled off, not even thinking about it.

"Nope. None of them do, really. Well they know the One Who Sees, but I doubt any of them have thought about it in years. And she doesn't hate me, she just can't remember who I am. Most of them can't."

Safira looked at him, her jaw hanging open a bit. She sputtered and got up to pace.

"How can they not know? I watched you go toe to toe with multiple demons and win. You can hold your own against vampires, and I heard the legends about you. Hell, most of the shamans even respected you, and they don't respect anyone!" Her voice spiked at that last bit and he glanced around.

"Don't wake up Jolie, she doesn't need to know this. Buffy won't talk to her, and for the most part she's out of this level of politics."

Safira dropped down next to him. "Then tell me why. Don't get me wrong Buffy is good. Better than me, stronger, but she isn't the yardstick you should use. I bet you can match Clint if you wanted to, and get at least a few hits on Natasha. Didn't they read the reports about what you did?"

He sighed, his eye warm on her. "Yes and no." Safira just gave him a look so he shrugged. "Remember the whole dog and pony show we put on for Fury with the 'a watcher' did this stuff?" She nodded. "Well that is actually what they said, but when I turned them in I never mentioned that I was involved in any of the take downs. Just that a group did X or Y. I never even made it appear like I was in the midst of it. If Buffy or Willow read any of it, it just looked like I reported what other people did, not that I was involved in it. Because they couldn't accept it if it was me."

The look of shock on her face made him chuckle.

"Safira, Buffy and Willow think of me as their slightly retarded brother who is always going to get hurt."

"But, why?" Her voice almost wailed, and for a minute he only saw the scared teenager he had picked up all those years ago.

He reached over and pulled her into a hug, her long lanky body folding into his as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Because they need or needed someone in their life they think they can protect, and they have selective memory when it comes to me. A selectiveness they can't control. Even if they witness me doing something awesome, a week later they will have forgotten it or dismissed it as a fluke, and a month later someone else did it. I know when it started and why it is mostly them. But even Giles and Dawn fall prey to it occasionally. Faith only pretends to, but I've seen the confusion on her face occasionally." He shrugged. "I have an idea or two as to the underlying reasons, but nothing I can change. For now, it's easier to let them believe, and as long as I stay far enough away they can't wrap me up to protect me." He shrugged. "They would do anything for me, but they can only see the Zeppo. It hasn't changed for years."

"Oh. They won't take you away from me will they?"

She sounded so young and he tightened his hold on her. "Never. I'll move the heavens themselves before they come between us. You're the daughter of my heart and soul, even if not my flesh."

"Okay, then I'll ignore them. But if Buffy complains that I didn't pull my punches or something you'll know why."

Xander chuckled a bit. "Understood. But I did want to ask you a question. You've never liked Robin Wood right?"

Safira wrinkled her nose. "No, not really."

"Mind telling me why?"

She tilted her head looking up at him. "Mind if I ask why first?"

"You knew he broke up with Faith."

She nodded. "Yeah. I got the feeling it was a quick ending, but then everything went down here and I don't think I saw Faith after that. Why?"

"He hurt her, badly. And the way he did it has me concerned. So, why don't you like him."

"Hrmm," she buried her head in his shoulder. "Promise not to get mad?"

Xander stiffened, then forced himself to relax. "No, but I'll trust you to deal with people by yourself."

"Good enough. He hit on me when we first got there. Let's see, I was only there about six weeks, and the first week after we got there, you had to leave for a week remember?"

He thought about it. "Oh yeah. A trip to DC to check out something at the Smithsonian. I was gone what four days?"

"Yeah. I mean the rooms were fine, but he came up to me at dinner one night. You know how I prefer to eat alone if I don't know people, so I was reading in one of the back corners, isolated." He could hear the roll of her eyes in her voice and snorted.

"Yep."

"He shows up, sits down, and smiles at me. Now don't get me wrong, he's a good-looking man, but he started at my waist and worked his way up. But that I can deal with, I mean I ogled Steve enough I can't throw stones. It was his comment that got to me."

"Hmm?"

Xander had a bad feeling he knew what was coming.

"He said, and I quote 'now that white boy is gone, don't you want to try a real man? I get you feel like you owe him for getting you out of Africa. But, now that you're here, how about some sex with a man who can satisfy you?'"

The desire to kill Robin again spiked in him, but Xander tamped it down, hard.

_She's over eighteen, and she can break him like a twig. She's her own person and can take care of herself._

The repeated thoughts didn't lessen the urge to beat Robin bloody.

"Stop it. I'm a big girl remember." Safira said tapping his leg lightly and he realized he'd tensed up again. "I smiled at him and replied that again I quote, this was important to me, so I remembered it. 'Sorry, now that I've been with a gentleman, I have no desire to slum with a cad.' And I went back to reading."

"Ah. Well that makes some of the odd comments I got make sense, both from other slayers and Robin."

"Really, what was said?" Safira asked but didn't lift her head from his shoulder.

"Just something about how I must really know how to make a woman happy from some of the slayers. Robin said something about me always getting the good ones first. Which honestly I thought he meant Faith, but after today I doubt it. Does he hit on the other slayers?"

"Sure. He's a player. The other slayers talk about him, but he likes them young."

"And you didn't say anything?"

Safira looked up at him, a puzzled look on her face.

"Say anything about what?"

"About him having sex with other people, hitting on girls, and cheating on Faith?"

She just blinked at him. "They are all over thirteen and everyone assumed Faith knew and supported it, it's been going on for a while. Why would I say anything?"

The cultural difference hit Xander in the face. Of course she wouldn't think anything of it. For her your period meant you were an adult and having sex was your choice, or at least your families. And poly relationships tended to be the norm in many areas of Africa, especially where education was limited.

"The missionaries didn't go over stuff like that with you?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I mean bible stuff, but most of us regarded that as story time. Everything else was school. But then I was raped at twelve by my betrothed, and I didn't realize it was rape until after I'd been with you for a few years and you almost took the head off of someone that started to have sex with a girl who said no while you were listening at one of the celebrations." She looked at him. "So, I'm guessing hitting on the girls isn't good, and Faith didn't know?"

"I don't think so and no. Not given that he is a person in power over them. For us that passes the border into sexual harassment. I suspect you saying no surprised him."

She sighed. "I still don't understand American things sometimes. But I can say that he doesn't continue once you say no, but a lot of the girls, especially those from Africa are flattered by the attention and it wouldn't occur to them to say no. Or that they could.""

Xander sighed. "And that just makes it worse. Thanks, _mdogo._ Now off to bed. School doesn't start for two weeks, and I'm sure Steve has plans for you in the morning."

Safira grinned, the white of her teeth a perfect arc against her skin. "Maybe. Want details?"

"Gah, no. Get. I have no sex life, I don't need to hear about my daughters."

Safira's giggles bubbled out of her and she kissed his cheek, rising.

"Xander?"

"Yes?" He leaned back relaxed watching the amazing woman that was his daughter.

"I love you. You're my hero, and if they can't see that, they are the ones that are blind. And Robin doesn't even come close to being worth your anger." With that she turned and disappeared into her bedroom.

The lights of the city called to him, and he headed to his bedroom, slipping on a sweater, then stepped out on the deck, the icy wind and sparkles of color in the city below like little sparks of life. He stood out there until he figured his mood had cooled enough to talk to Giles. The clock showed it to be after ten, but Giles stayed up late and got up around nine, so he had no doubt Giles would talk to him.

Walking back in he picked up his phone and clicked on Giles.

"Ready to send them all back to me?" Giles asked a laugh in his voice.

"Nah, not yet. They haven't been here that long. No, I needed to talk to you about something else."

"Oh dear, whenever you take that tone of voice I get worried. Please tell me Buffy or Willow didn't do anything that I don't want to hear about."

"No, you are safe there. They are almost acting their age."

"The world is ending, where is my scotch?"

Xander snorted in agreement with that one. Buffy and Willow together seemed to bring out the teenager in each of them.

"So what did you need to talk to me about?"

He had thought about the phrasing carefully, as he didn't actually know anything except the words of a broken-hearted young woman.

"Were you aware of Faith and Robin having issues?"

"Issues?" Giles voice sounded surprised. "I knew they had broken up and there was some angst, but given how Buffy goes through suitors I didn't really think anything of it. Is there an issue?"

"Giles, I know that we all seem absurdly young to you most of the time. But Faith and he broke up because she walked in on him with another woman."

A heavy sigh. "That was extremely uncivilized of him. A man should always let a woman know when their relationship has hit the skids. But I must be missing something. While regrettable, I am not sure it is our business."

Xander half nodded in agreement, even if Giles couldn't see him.

"If it were just that I might agree. I'd be pissed and tempted to beat on him for hurting her, but it is much bigger issue than that." Trying to keep his emotions out of his voice, Xander started to talk and explained everything Safira had told him, his initial impressions of Faith, what Faith had said, and then ended with, "I know their relationship isn't our business, but the very fact that he is using the school as his hunting grounds makes me want to skin him alive. I had enough problems with Willow and Kennedy because of the age difference. Giles, he is old enough to be some of these girls father. I can not, I will not support him staying at that school one minute longer, even if by our laws they are adults."

There was silence on the other end, and Xander even pulled the phone away to make sure they hadn't gotten disconnected. He put it back to his ear. "Giles?"

"I'm here, Xander." His voice had gone icy quiet and the hairs on Xander's arms rose. He recognized Ripper when he heard him. It had been a long time, but some experiences were engraved onto your soul. "I'm fighting the urge to use the flaying spell Willow used on the little shit that killed Tara. She taught it to me, and right now it seems very appropriate."

The hyena in Xander's mind surged forward, and he bit back a snarl of agreement.

"I think we need to handle this legally, and can we please make sure this isn't happening with anything else? I get these girls can defend themselves, but a lot of them won't know they can say no. Being strong doesn't mean you don't fear losing food and shelter."

"Agreed. I'll take care of it and trust me by the time I'm done with him, he'll be happy to be living on the streets."

Xander's smile wasn't nice, and he didn't care.

"And, Xander?"

"Yes?"

"Tell Faith I'm sorry. I should have seen, I should have cared more and seen how much she hurt."

"I will. But Giles, we are letting too many people under our watch get hurt. First Jolie and now Faith. We must do better."

"Agreed. I'll talk to Buffy and Willow when they get back, and call a meeting of the board. This stops now."

Xander hung up feeling better, and prepared himself tomorrow for the day of shopping.


	5. Chapter 5 - Ambush

The beep of the alarm had him up and moving. There'd be a big crowd for breakfast today, given he had three extra mouths, and he didn't know the new commons room so he wanted to have time to get the lay of that kitchen. A quick shower, clothes and he headed to the elevator.

"Jarvis, how do supplies look in the common room kitchen?"

"I took the liberty of ordering more after your conversation with Mr. Barton yesterday. They arrived an hour ago. And I woke Mr. Barton up at five am this morning to remind him to make cinnamon rolls. His comments were most uncomplimentary."

Xander narrowed his eyes as he looked up at the ceiling.

"Do I detect a hint of smugness in your tone, Jarvis?"

"I do not believe I am capable of that emotion. However, there might have been a strange surge in my processors at his comments."

Xander laughed. "Welcome to the dark side of humanity, Jarvis."

"I am not sure that is a good thing."

"Good? Probably not, but makes you a hell of a lot more relatable." The doors slid open and Xander walked into the area headed for the kitchen. "Do you have a rough idea of how many may be showing up this morning?"

"Everyone I believe. Rumors of the cinnamon rolls might have made their way to Ms. Potts and Doctor Banner."

"Huh. So feed an army. Five slayers, yes I'm counting Steve as one for food purposes, three picky eaters – borderline vegetarians, and four human garbage disposals. Got it."

"That is an interesting way to break people down into. Dare I ask where I fall?" Natasha's voice pulled him up short and he swallowed.

"Human garbage disposal?" His voice a bit weak even as he didn't stop moving. He loved making breakfast. The foods were fun and varied, and even with picky eaters he didn't need to worry.

"And your definition of that?"

She moved over and started brewing coffee so he figured she wouldn't kill him until after breakfast.

"That you'll eat anything put in front of you that you don't think won't kill you." He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he pulled out two enamel covered cast iron dishes.

"Fair enough. I can't really argue with that. Though to this point I have not found anything you've made that would not be viable fare at a good restaurant." She didn't look at him instead focused on the liquid life trickling into the pot.

"Dang, that sounded suspiciously like a compliment. If you're not careful, I might think you actually like me."

_Oh shit, are you trying to get killed? Well if she killed me, I'm pretty sure Safira might take offense._

Tony had installed super fast coffee makers in this place and she shot him a look as she poured a cup of coffee for herself, and another for him, starting to doctor them.

"Why would you think I don't like you? You are still alive after all." Her voice cool as she slide the perfectly doctored coffee over to him.

"Point." He started to cut up vegetables and jumped when she spoke from his blind side.

"So how can I help?"

He turned his head far enough that he could actually see her then pointed at the fridge. "Would you get out the ham and sausage out of there and cut up about three pounds?" He knew her knife work would be perfect.

They worked in a strange harmony as he made two fritattas, one with egg whites and vegetables only, the other loaded with meat and whole eggs. Those he tossed into the oven, then got two trays of biscuits ready, the take out of a can kind. Then he started on bacon and French toast the two of them working in a silent dance he rather enjoyed.

The scent of cinnamon preceded Clint's arrival. "You owe me for this, Harris. Jarvis made me make four trays of them. Ooh, coffee." He dropped the pans of fresh rolls on the counter and headed for the coffee pot.

"Hey, why am I paying for what Jarvis made you do?"

"Cause I know you put him up to it."

"Did not. He came up with that idea all by himself. Speaking of which, Jarvis? How long until the first diners appear?"

"Given that everyone is up and either is or has showered at this time, and Sir is headed this direction. I would say three minutes from the first and fifteen to the last."

"Perfect." He pulled out the fritattas which were golden brown, set them to the side, threw in the biscuits. "Ten minute timer, please." And set up plates and stuff for a buffet style breakfast, then moved out of the way.

Laid out for people to attack was bacon, French toast, fritattas, yogurt, cinnamon rolls, coffee juice, and fresh fruit. The biscuits he'd pull out shortly.

"You are a strange man, Xander Harris." Natasha said as she created a plate for herself.

"Why?" He looked at her bewildered even as he helped himself to some bacon and a roll.

"You do all this, for all of us, yet your best friends treat you like a green recruit."

He shrugged. "There are reasons. Some good, some bad. But they'll always be there if needed." He broke off as the elevator door slid open and the three walked in. Faith didn't even limp, and Buffy looked perky and excited, while Willow yawned and arrowed for the coffee.

"Oh, I don't think so. Tea, green." Xander blocked her and pointed her to the hot water and stack of tea.

"But but…" Willow mock whined even as she made tea.

"I am not dealing with an over caffeinated Willow and shopping. Both together are more than any man should have to deal with."

Buffy grinned at him with a plate of food settling down at the large bar even as other started to come in. Soon the room was full of laughter talking, and eating, and it hurt to see everyone there. Even Jolie laughed babbling with Bruce and Tony with Pepper sitting next to him eating the frittata with delicate bites.

When everyone was done, Steve and Bruce started to clean up and Buffy grinned up at Xander. "So ready to take us on our super special stylist trip?" her energy almost had her bouncing in place.

"No, he isn't coming." Natasha's dead flat voice cut through the room and even Jolie paused in her babble to look at Natasha.

Buffy bristled whirling to look at Natasha. "Why, because you think he's your personal servant just cause he cooks for you?" Her words were coated in acid and even Xander flinched, some of his joy diminishing.

"No, because Natasha and I thought we would go with you?" Pepper's cool voice cut through the fog and Xander could almost hear the tirade about to start deflate.

"Wait, you're going with us?" Faith's voice had an odd note in it and Xander frowned. He hadn't dared talk to her with all the people there, but still she sounded better and didn't have the hard make up like she had yesterday.

"Yes. I need some updates to my wardrobe with the change, and Natasha needs a few dresses for some upcoming events." Pepper raised one exquisite eyebrow. "Is there an issue with that?"

Buffy blinked and stammered. "No, that would be well, fine. I mean sure."

"Excellent. We will be ready to leave in ten minutes. Jarvis will take you to the correct floor." She flashed her perfect smile, dropped a kiss on Tony's upturned face and walked out.

Natasha flashed her a smile that was all teeth and very little humor. "See you in a bit." Her ass swayed as she went out and Xander knew damn well she'd done that purposefully.

Buffy turned wide eyes on Xander. "We're going shopping with Pepper Potts." Her voice had dumbfounded awe that Xander only partially got.

"I hope that's okay?" He still didn't know why Natasha and Pepper had interfered, but he wasn't about to argue with a last minute rescue.

"Are you kidding? That is incredible. She is one of the top ten best dressed women in business, and she never looks silly or like she is trying too hard. I can't wait." She bounced off the chair, grabbed him in a tight hug. "Thank you," she whispered in his ear then scurried to the elevator. "Faith, Willow, come one. We need to grab out stuff and get down there."

Faith and Willow both shrugged and headed towards the elevator. Xander winked at Faith when she glanced back at him with a puzzled look. The elevator doors slid closed and Xander turned to look at the remaining people.

"Welp, that's my cue to leave. Come on, Bruce. I want to show you what I've been playing with. That anti-vibrainium is incredible. You won't believe the properties it has, and what it does with radiation makes no sense."

Bruce and Jolie's eyes lit up and they pushed away from the table.

"Jolie?" Xander called and waited until she turned to look at him, no fear at least but a touch of wariness. "Don't forget, school starts next week. Is there anything left we need to do to get you registered for classes? Tony has already arranged for a driver for you to get to and from the college if Safira isn't headed that way."

Her face lit up as she straightened a bit. "I need to go get some lab books tomorrow or the next day. But everything else is loaded on my computer. It should be fun. I have biology labs the first day, then followed by organic chemistry."

Xander smiled wanting to reach out and hug her, but instead ruffled her hair a little to a roll of her eyes. "Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything? Or at least let Jarvis know?"

She nodded her head, a serious nod. "I will." With that she took off after Bruce and Tony who hadn't waited but instead were climbing the stairs to the labs. Pepper's idea to make them get a little bit of exercises. If it was less than 3 floors the elevators wouldn't open for them.

Xander turned to see that Steve and Safira had the kitchen mostly spotless, while Clint leaned against the counter nibbling on a bacon, egg, and cheese biscuit and sipping his coffee.

"Huh, well since I just got the day free. I'm going to go deal with some Council stuff, then maybe head down to the forge. I need a new sword."

_And maybe I can try some of the shaman__'__s recipes._

"Actually, Xander," Steve started but it was the shamefaced look on Safira gave him that really caused him to pause.

"Why do I think I won't like this?" His question was rhetorical he knew, anything that caused Safira to give him puppy dog eyes, he wouldn't like.

Steve glanced at Safira, then Clint, who paid very close attention to his biscuit.

"Fine, make me the bad guy. Safira and I were talking after her sparring with Buffy, and then with Clint this morning, while you were busy doing other things, and she let slip that you were a much better fighter than any of your guests seem to think."

Xander fought a smile tossing a a side long look at Safira. "What you couldn't take the blows to my ego?"

She crossed her arms glaring at him. "I know you said there are reasons, but it isn't fair. You're good. No, you aren't a slayer or a superhero, but I've seen you fight. You're not a fragile china doll."

"Life isn't fair and we both know it. But that's besides the point. What is this about?" He crossed his arms, already have a good idea what the end game would be.

"I'd like to spar with you, assess your capabilities for multiple reasons." Clint still didn't look at him as he spoke, buttering the last biscuit carefully. "One I want to get an idea of how far we were played. Two know where you stand if anything goes down at the tower, we'll know how to use you if we know your capabilities, and three…" Clint finally looked up and smiled. "I owe you for the cinnamon rolls. Five am sucks."

"I'd like to point out, that Jarvis did that on his own. I was going to ask him too, but I at least waited until six am." Xander pointed out, pretty sure he'd kept the whine out of his voice.

"Oh well. Jarvis I can't hit. You, I can." His smile resembled that of a shark and Xander rolled his eyes.

"Fine, fine. Give me twenty. I'll meet you down there."

With that he left, refusing to look any of them in the eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

Xander snorted when he heard the doors close behind him. "So did I get lots of puppy dog looks as I walked out?"

"While I don't claim to be an expert in facial expressions, I will say I saw two pouting lips, and a concerned frown." Jarvis replied smoothly.

"Excellent. My evil plan is working." He started to laugh, mimicking a villain from any Disney movie.

"Evil Plan? Normally that does not sound good. And when Sir starts cackling the way you are, I normally contact Ms.. Potts."

Xander choked on his laughter as the doors opened to his level.

"Nah. I figured they were planning something, and to be honest I need the work out. Their reasons were valid and I don't disagree, though I would have preferred them to just ask rather than the emotional ambush. But…" He trailed off and shrugged. "Buffy upset Safira, and I get that. So I can see her being a bit sneaky about it."

"She did seem out of sorts after her session with Miss Summers."

"Yeah. I suppose you listened."

"Not that I listen to everything, but I do record everything occurs in this tower. It is my body in a very real way."

"Point. But speaking of that." Xander kept talking as he changed his clothes and dug for his worn tennis shoes. He picked up his axe, then shook his head and put it down. "Can I request that while you can record this, you don't let anyone else see this. Not even Natasha? And if anyone besides those three head that way, give us a heads up. I'd rather not have this become anything public."

"I can do that, though I must admit Sir could probably order me to allow him to see it."

Xander nodded as he walked back to the elevator, stopping to grab a refillable bottle of water. "Valid. Can you at least alert me so I can talk to him and possibly watch it with him? Though definitely let him know what I requested."

"That I can do. I must say you are much more accepting of my limitations than most."

"Specifically Jolie you mean?"

The slightest pause and Xander fought back a grin as he stepped into the elevator.

"She is most insistent that I have a body, and that I am a person. She chafes more at my limitations than I ever have."

"More than most she is familiar with others putting limitations on someone. I suspect she might be more of a crusader than either of us might expect. So why don't you explain the limitations to her. I wouldn't be surprised if she started working on ways to break them. And it would be good to stretch her out of her fixation on biology. She's brilliant, why limit her interests?"

"Interesting option. I had not considered that. I might discuss that option with Sir."

"You do that." The elevator doors slide open and he took a deep breath. "And once more onto the breech dear friends."

"Will it be that bad?" There was the slightest hint of worry in Jarvis's normally slightly sardonic tones.

"Nah. Just stretching some aspects that haven't been stretched for a while. Not positive what is going to happen when I do."

"That explains nothing," Jarvis observed.

"Watch and see," Xander commented as he walked into the gym. Steve and Safira were stretching on the mats. Turning his head, he saw Clint over to the side, doing pull ups, the ripped off tank top showing off truly impressive arms.

"You know if I swung that way, I'd lust after you just for your arms."

Clint dropped to the ground with a smile and flexed his arms. "They are drool worthy aren't they?"

"Just don't say that around Buffy or Faith they might take you up on it, and they will break you."

Clint flashed a smile and a wink. "Ah, but what a way to die."

Xander rolled his eyes as he headed to the mat, dropping down and starting his own stretches. Muscles protested and creaked as he pulled on them and twisted.

_Damn, it has been too long. I can__'__t get this complacent. Just because this isn't Africa doesn't mean I can get old and fat. Time to make a work out routine._

They gave him time as he worked out stiffness and tried to convince himself he wasn't getting old.

_Come on, pretty sure Clint is older than me, and Tony, and Nat, and Steve__… __yeah.. And I'm fully human._

The old pain washed through him, and he closed his eyes for a minute. Then his normal sarcasm snapped in.

_So Clint is fully human, I think. So is Tony. So quit whining._

"Xander, you okay? You don't have to do this, really." He opened his eyes to Safira crouched in front of him, furrowed brows and chewing on her lip.

"I'm fine, letting my mind wander too much." He rose, touching his feet one last time to convince his back it could really bend that far. "You guys, ready? How we doing this?"

"Figured I'd do basic hand to hand against you, see what you're made of. Then team tactics, me and Cap here and you with your girl."

"Point, she is Cap's girl. She's my slayer or daughter, or…" He threw a glance at her. "What are you? Too old to be a child I'm responsible for."

Safira shrugged. "Daughter works for me. Though that does raise the odd idea of you being Captain America's father in law."

Steve choked, and red boiled up his neck and face. Xander didn't fare much better as the random thought he'd had when they first met slammed back into him.

"Yeah, slayer. Get your ass off the mat. Someone needs to kick my ass."

Clint still chuckled as he faced off against Xander. His eyes were wary, narrowed, and Xander nodded at him, and waited. He could out wait a jaguar, and had done that once before. Patience he had.

A snort escaped Clint, with a nod and a fast right jab. Not as fast as a slayer, but with a speed that Xander almost didn't expect. Almost. He swayed backwards, then forward.

Clint narrowed his eyes and moved in, two lighting fast strikes, but still slower than a slayer and Xander had been dealing with slayers for years. He blocked one and moved so the other would just miss him.

"You aren't completely useless," Clint commented as he circled.

"You didn't expect me to be helpless," Xander countered even as he blocked another swing, and caught the kick on his leg.

"True enough. But if you're warm, lets really get this going."

"Your show, I'm just here for the popcorn." Xander grinned, but inwardly he prepared himself.

With one more smile, more of a flicker across his face than anything, Clint proved why he merited being on the Avengers. The rain of blows he attacked Xander with pushed him back, and Xander gave in. He knew he wouldn't have a choice, but part of him, the part that hid behind the normal Scooby, had hoped. With a sigh of relief, pleasure, and maybe a touch of inevitability, he let the hyena and the soldier surge forward and take over.

Years ago, they had been separate, unable, unwilling to work together, to be a united being. Years in Africa, a shaman, and necessity had changed that. They could become more than the sum of their parts, an entity that could and would push Xander's body past the limits that existed, and stand up to a slayer in full rage, if he allowed. Always he was in control and guided their actions, but this time, knowing he could stop them and that Clint would not kill him, Xander stepped back and let them take over.

He knew, though he could not see it, his eyes flared green as he moved, faster than a slayer, faster than Clint, and attacked. Strikes, slashes, the occasional kick. Hyena didn't like kicking, it exposed your belly to her mind. Soldier didn't care, though he longed for the claws Hyena expected at the end of her fingers.

Clint fell back, eyes wide, and Hyena howled in glee. She knew this was practice, but surprising your rivals, even friendly ones always delighted her. But the beings that Xander let have full control didn't let up, didn't stop just because they'd surprised their sparring partner, no, they were hunters, warriors, they pressed their attack. Strike, slash, blow after blow, and they faded to let Xander grin down at Clint, on the floor beneath his boot.

"Satisfied?" The smile had nothing human in it, and the growl of pleasure in the back of his throat was all Hyena.

Bleeding from a cut on his lip, eye swelling shut, panting Clint looked up at him, his face splitting in a smile.

"Fuck me. What the hell was that?"

A wound he hadn't realized he had scabbed over a bit, when Clint's voice held admiration and annoyance. Safira screamed in joy, and only the fact that he, and Hyena, recognized her scent, her feel, prevented any reaction when she grabbed him from behind.

"They didn't believe me, said I'd misremembered, being young when you found me." She shot narrow eyed looks at Clint and Steve. The latter raising his hands in surrender. "I told them you held your own with demons, and you rescued me and others multiple times. Then Buffy talking about how soft and weak you were, I had to prove to them, to me." Her voice softened as she reached that last part.

"Safira, I don't have to prove anything to anyone," but he felt the lie in the words even as he said them. A sigh. "Okay maybe I do. But I've given up trying to prove to Buffy and Willow. They can't remember it, no matter what." He shot a wry smile at Clint who had levered himself up from the floor wiping blood off his mouth.

"That makes no sense." Steve stated his brows furrowed. "Other than their attitude towards you they seem nice enough."

"Meh, I like Faith. She's had a hard life. Reminds me of me. Willow is just too adorable to not love." Clint stood looking in the mirror. "Fuck, I can't remember the last time I got suckered so badly. What happened? Where did all that come from?"

Xander knew the conversation about Buffy wasn't over, but he let it drop, addressing the second.

"I have hitchhikers. Fighting is their favorite thing to do."

Safira snickered. "I'd been worried about her, Hyena always was my favorite."

"That's only because you hit her maternal instinct every time and she'd weigh in on your side. Soldier just avoided the child aspect of you and focused on the slayer. I think some days either he was really young or old and never married." Xander shrugged and stood up. "So now what? And no, I'm not talking about it anymore. If you want that story, your place, pizza, something decent to drink, and a evening without Jolie around to hear. Safira knows most of it."

Steve tilted his head, inspecting Xander as if he were a new species he'd never seen. "You would have fit right in with the Howling Commandos. Bucky and you would have been a scary pair. Let's go over form and see what you need."

The compliment warmed Xander inside out, and he ducked his head. They spent the rest of the morning going over form, and Xander's strange amalgam of fighting styles, mostly what ever worked. With out much formal training he was an absolute grab-bag.

"I think I've got it. You're a last defense, because no one is going to expect what you can do. Hell, I'm still surprised." Steve had an eye that had swollen shut, but it already had started to go down. He'd thought he'd had Xander pinned and Hyena and Soldier soared up, knocking him back with an elbow to the eye. But it'd been a last ditch effort and Xander had struggled to just stand up after that feeling like he'd drained every bit of energy he had. "Put you on a basic strength training regime. But we'll add in some Krav Magra. It's the only thing I think you could tolerate. Not pretty, but harsh and effective. If you need it here, you'll need that."

"Just need to start stashing axes in every room. Those are really my weapon of choice."

"At some point I want to see you use one of those. Natasha was impressed with your actions during the attack."

"It gets bloody." He didn't say anything else as he drained a bottle of water. "I'm calling it a day. That last surge wiped me out and I'm starving."

The men both nodded and headed to the locker room, while Safira looked at him and smiled.

"Thanks for not saying no."

"Meh, I need to get back in shape and given the lives we all lead, they needed to know what I can do."

Safira hugged him and then trotted off to the locker room. They had plans for later. Xander headed back to their place, figuring he still had dinner with the girls. And then in theory they'd be leaving the day after tomorrow.

"You are good at hiding behind masks." Jarvis's comment came after the doors had closed, preventing anyone else form hearing it.

"Humans use masks all the time. The trick is realizing, the mask is as real as the person behind it." His voice had sardonic humor in it.

Jarvis didn't respond, but it felt like processing and Xander let the silence be, heading for a shower.


	7. Chapter 7 - Changes

The heat of the water helped to sluice way some of the exhaustion from Xander, as well as clear his head. He had been ignoring the physical too much lately. And the need to create, to do hand work instead of office work ramped up. But not until the girls were gone. Speaking of which he had dinner tonight with them and needed to check with Giles.

It had felt awkward at first talking to Jarvis like a friend while he paraded naked around his room, but at this point he'd miss the strange being if he ever moved out of the tower.

"Jarvis, is everything ready for dinner tonight?"

"Yes, Xander. The caterer is prepping now for dinner for the four of you, then I have a car and entry to one of the local dance clubs for after."

Xander smiled. "Thanks. And you discretely let Safira and Steve know to maybe crash the dance party?"

"Captain Rogers didn't seem as enthused as Miss Safira, but yes. I believe they will be there."

"Should be interesting. Odds on Nat and Clint crashing?"

"I would place those at eighty percent right now assuming nothing happened while shopping."

"You mean if Buffy didn't piss her off."

"I did not say that."

"Yeah, well. Buffy has many strengths. She's funny, kind, loyal, and will do anything for her friends. She also is stubborn, opinionated, and has blind spots the size of elephants. But if Natasha can deal with Tony and Elijah Price, I don't think Buffy will phase her."

"Really? The villain from Unbreakable as a reference to Nicholas Fury? Stretching the association aren't you?"

Xander finished dressing. "Well, I think if I keep calling him Mace Windu too much, it might give him ideas."

Jarvis remained silent and Xander grinned. "I'm going to make you laugh yet."

"I do not believe Sir programmed me to laugh." Jarvis's voice had a primness to it.

"And your point? You evolved past his programming a long time ago. By the time Willow and Jolie are done with you, I'd be surprised if you didn't have your own body and were self directing."

"On that note, the ladies are returning to the tower as we speak."

Xander glanced at his watch. "Dang, they had me in that torture chamber long than I thought. It's four. They say anything?"

"Yes. You, as well as Sir and Mr. Barton have been ordered to appear for a fashion show, though I suspect the girls will show up as well."

"Time to clothing display?"

"Approximately thirty-five minutes."

"Did Pepper arrange to have snacks or drinks delivered for the show?"

"Yes. Already some drinks, both alcoholic and non are being set up in the common area along with a path from one of the rooms to the seating area. Snacks and other things should be delivered after the show starts."

"That woman is something else. I do hope Tony appreciates his good fortune." Xander finished getting dressed, and set out an extra shirt. His track record of spilling food on his clothes was high, and the odds were the girls would want to change into something new to go dancing.

He grabbed his phone heading to the balcony to look out at the city. The winter sun already creeping towards the horizon. With a deep breath he hit the right contact and then focused on the light of the sun reflecting off of the various iconic buildings in New York.

"Xander. How is she?" Giles' voice held worry and grief in it, which had the odd effect of making Xander feel better. He knew Giles cared, but sometimes you needed the proof of that affection.

"Fine, I think. Saw her this morning. Should see her in a bit. But you know Faith. Her armor is always on."

"Yes, and I forget to look past it way more than I should. I truly am not equipped to deal with women and all their intricacies. We need a den mother. Someone who gets it and would not have been fooled."

"Days like this you really miss Joyce."

"More than you might realize." Giles voice had fondness in it that caused Xander to lift an eyebrow. "But that is neither here nor there, though if you run across someone that would make a good den mother, let me know. I'm assuming you are calling about the issue."

"Issue? I'm calling about that no good son of a bitch."

Giles barked out a laugh that contained no humor. "First we interviewed pretty much everyone and they backed up that he never forced anyone. And he only went after girls over eighteen. Even though some of the younger ones that threw themselves at him, he never touched anyone not legal by our laws. In fact mostly he targeted girls just cycling through, staying here before heading out to other places, other watchers. The most frustrating part was most of the girls either felt flattered or didn't see why we were making such a big deal about it. Agnes and I confronted him. He admitted to having relations with some of the slayers, but pointed out they always consented and he never approached to anyone under the age of consent. "

Xander didn't say anything, just waited for Giles to continue.

"I will admit I didn't know how to respond to that, but Agnes took care of that for me. She looked at him, leered at him and said and I quote – 'Excellent. It's been a while since I've had that itched scratched. Be at my room at ten, and don't bother with underwear. I know you want to impress me, after all, I control your ability to work here.' Unquote. I didn't know Robin could turn that shade of gray. And he began to stammer and protest and then that wonderful woman went in for the kill. She explained to him in no uncertain terms that what he did to these slayers was coerced sex no matter if they thought it was their choice. He had power over them. Power over their assignments, days off, who they worked with, and where they got stationed. Of course they consented. Not to mention the fact a number of them were from places where women didn't have the right to say no. By the time that woman was done, I was ready to scratch her itch in gratitude."

A choked laugh slipped out of Xander. Agnes was pushing ninety and looked it. With a body worn down by age, hair so thin and white you could see the paper thin skin on her skull. And a mind and tongue as sharp as any of Xander's weapons.

"Oh, I would have loved to have seen that. His reaction?"

"After he finished stammering he pulled himself up and dared us to ask any of the girls if they felt pressured to have sex. Problem was, we didn't care if they had or not. He was provided with his walking papers and assurance that we would not be providing references. However, as consideration for the services of him and that his mother gave her life in service to the council, we gave him a hefty payout." Giles voice sounded bitter at that last part. "If he went public we would have a huge issue. As it is, I'm still not sure he understands how wrong what he did was. And that is without taking Faith into consideration. By the way I did ask him about that. He shrugged and said she should have known a man like him would never be satisfied with just one piece of ass."

Xander choked past his rage and focused on the facts. "Do I want to know how much?" He probably didn't but, at the same time he knew the man had risked his life for them several times in the past and would make a bad enemy.

"Two hundred and fifty thousand."

"Whoa," his comment barely made a sound as the breath left his lungs at that.

"Yes. But this has a few advantages. It gives him stuff to live off of so he doesn't get desperate and helps to reduce his anger. He might not use magic, but you and I both know he knows people who can. What he did was wrong, but I can't kill him. Was tempted, but I did talk to a few girls. The problem was it never occurred to them to say no. I only found one before Safira who did, and she would rather have had Buffy hit on her."

Xander signed watching the light change from pink to purple as the sun sank. "I get it. Don't like it, but get it."

"But there is one more thing. Agnes did cast a spell."

Xander went still. "I see and what would have that been?"

Giles voice had rich humor as he replied. "A karma spell. Any place he ever works at again, his management will try to convince him to have sex with him, or at least do sexual things in exchange for continued employment. So he might find himself feeling what life is like on the other side."

The laugh had more pain than humor, "Do I have permission to let the girls know?"

"Please do. I figure it will give Buffy some cool down time so the man doesn't get skinned alive.

"I hope that is how she reacts."

A pause on the other line. "You don't think she would?"

"Nah, just seeing shadows that aren't there. Okay I need to go to a fashion show. I'll talk to you later." He hung up on a sputtering Giles and headed to the elevator. "Anything decent to drink at this show?" He paused for a moment then forged ahead. "And would it be abusing your trust or abilities if I asked you to watch one Robin Wood. To let me know if he ever goes near a slayer again?"

"I've already set those algorithms in place. And I'm having a bottle of sipping Tequila delivered for you, Clint, and Sir."

"Sipping Tequila? What in the world is that? And, Jarvis. Thanks."

"It is my pleasure." The ride to where the fashion would be took forever, and Xander savored every minute as Jarvis explained about high end tequila and gave him time he needed to get his anger and sorrow get under control.

"You ready?"

"Always. And, Jarvis?"

"Yes?"

"Don't let Tony tell you, you are just a pile of circuits and high end programming. He's wrong. It also means he's better than he thinks he is. But he's wrong. Whether he realizes it or not, he created a life when he created you. In a very real way, you are his son. And you're pretty damn incredible." Xander cleared his throat and straightened dusting down his dark grey shirt and black slacks. "Now I believe I am expected."

The doors to the elevator slide open to reveal the chairs pushed back so a walkway extended between them, Tony and Bruce were back at the breakfast bar, chatting and an expensive looking bottle sat between them, though Bruce had a cup of tea in his hands.

"Gent's. I am told I must try that bottle."

"Xander. I think I have to blame you for pulling me away from my experiments. I was in the middle of something with the vibranium." Tony had an aggrieved pout on his face. Xander however had zero sympathy.

"If you would like to leave and then later explain to Pepper that you didn't want to see her modeling her new clothes. Feel free." Xander paused and put a thoughtful look on his face. "Though I suspect if you do that, it might be a long time before you get to see any of the new lingerie she purchased modeled either."

Tony's face lit up. "You think she bought lingerie?"

Xander blinked at him. "Do you want to take the risk she didn't?"

"Point. The metal isn't going anywhere." Tony spun around and reached into the freezer, pulling out four thick pink shot glasses. "Solid salt shot glasses, melts just enough to flavor the tequila."

"This I have to try." Tequila wasn't anything Xander had ever thought of as 'sipping' alcohol.

Tony poured the tequila into each of the shot glasses as Clint and Steve magically appeared.

"Here you go, Stevie." Tony said pushing a glass towards both the men. He didn't even try with Bruce anymore.

"Tony," Steve said with a world weary sigh. "You know I can't get drunk."

Tony blinked at him, affronted. "This is not getting drunk alcohol. This is enjoy slowly alcohol." He wrapped a protective hand around the bottle drawing it close. "I'm not allowing anyone to guzzle this."

Xander arched a brow as he'd seen Tony blow through hundred dollar bottles of liquor like they were Mad Dog. Shanking his head at the byplay, even if it did make him feel a bit better, he picked up the shot glass.

The salt glass felt cool in his hand, not slippery like glass but rough, which made sense as it was made out of salt. His eye closed as he brought it up to his nose, inhaling first. The salt hit him, but they a sweet sharp smell that didn't smell like any tequila he'd ever tried before. With a caution he took a small sip. Sweet flavors, a hint of vanilla and the essence of oak filled his mouth even as he swallowed and a sweet burn traveled down his throat.

"I'm impressed. I could see sipping this stuff." He said, putting the glass down. It almost seemed liked a crime to drink it too fast.

"Eh, not bad. Still prefer the vodka Nat got me addicted to." Clint said though Xander noticed he didn't let the glass out of his hand.

Steve hummed a bit, licking his lip.

Tony looked like he was about to make a smart remark, when Jarvis spoke.

"If you would please take your seats, the ladies would like to present their purchases."

The lights dimmed and Xander swiftly took a seat, and prepared to enjoy. The other men followed suit, and Jolie and Safira slipped in. Safira plopping next to Steve and draping her long legs across his. Steve for his part instantly put a possessive hand on her calf and began to stroke it up and down.

Jolie for her part had her tablet, and curled up in the small recliner that had just appeared right after Christmas. It was too small for anyone else, and she had accepted the gift with a shy smile and took to it like a cat to catnip.

The lights dimmed and Xander smirked at the drama of it, but only because he knew no one else could see it.

Lights lit up the small walkway, and what he assumed qualified as runway music started, but not loud enough that he couldn't hear the click of heels as Pepper strode into the room.

Pepper never not looked elegant, even in cut off shorts and a t-shirt, but the suit she wore snapped and all but screamed power and money. Xander figured he didn't want to know what it cost, but from the low whistle from Tony, he clearly approved.

Natasha followed in a suit also, this one a dark red bordering on black, and Xander wondered how many weapons it hid. The suit didn't snap or flap the way Pepper's had, it simply floated a bit as she moved. Then he caught sight of her heels and wondered how she didn't break her legs walking on those stilts.

Willow strutted out, draped in a green so pale it barely registered as green. A few years ago she would have been bright red, but now she smiled and strutted the suit that made her look like a young CEO, not a witch.

Buffy, in heels at almost made her look like a normal height, hidden by the legs of the slacks, came out. This suit seemed stronger, more like Natasha's than Willows, and Xander wondered suddenly if they were bullet resistant. He looked at it closer and smiled as he figured there were dagger holders in the sleeves.

Faith strode out and he smiled. Rather than tough, the black suit trimmed in leather made her look elegant and in control. Her hair twisted up in a chignon – and he hated that he knew that – and her make up more subtle, highlighting her beauty. She didn't look happy, but she didn't look like she might shatter any second.

They went through a suit, work attire, which made all of them look like they worked for Pepper, and then ended with cocktail outfits. The lights went off and the audience stood up and applauded. The women came out, still dressed in their cocktail attire.

Buffy had a brilliant blue dress that hit her knees, and accented her curves and her glowing tan. Willow looked adorable in something with reds, greens, and whites that swirled around her making her look like some exotic flower.

But Xander wanted to go hug Pepper as he watched Faith. Clint flirted with her, but it was the light fun flirting that neither of them took seriously. Faith wore a dress with lace sleeves, a sweetheart neckline, and rather than skin tight and black, this was looser, fitting her but hinting not screaming her curves in a rich purple that made her eyes sparkle.

At some point the magical Jarvis had made drinks and snacks appear and he just sat back and watched Buffy and Willow flirt and talk, excitement and pleasure in their words. Safira and Steve keeping Buffy busy, while Willow, Jolie, Bruce, and Tony all argued over something, but the smiles on their face told him they loved it.

"So how do I thank you?"

"I didn't think you'd know I was there." Pepper said as she moved over and sat next to him, a glass of champagne in her hand.

"Smelled your perfume, it's unique, just like you." Xander flashed her a sideways smile.

"Ooh, nice compliment. So, what do you need to thank me about?"

"Faith. You made her look elegant, powerful, but not hard."

"She is a complicated young woman. Actually they all are."

A low chuckle slipped out. "You could say that." He just watched Faith glow and smiled.

"You know they'll ask once the girls are gone."

He didn't have to ask what she meant, he knew. "They can ask."

"Will you tell them?"

"That would presume I know the answer."

"True. Do you?"

"Know? No. Have a very good idea. Yes."

"I'll be interested in hearing it. Now take these ladies to dinner and dancing."

"With pleasure. Thank you, Pepper. Tony is a lucky man."

She flashed him a smile as she stood. "Should I be worried? I might be willing to give him up for a younger model."

Even knowing she teased him, Xander's eye widened. "I am very sure you are and always have been out of my league. I think Tony's claim is safe."

"I think you underrate yourself. But thank you. Go. You know that dancing will be crashed."

"I expect it. Jarvis, would you mind lowering the music and raising the lights?" He didn't hear anything, but the music lowered and the lights went up. The conversation faded in response and Xander stood.

"Ladies, thank you for a wonderful show. Are you ready for dinner?"

"Yes, I am at least." Buffy said as she headed over to him, a smile on her face, relaxed and happier than Xander had seen her in a while. Willow had extracted from Bruce and came over, slipping her arm in his and laying her head on his shoulder.

"This is fun. I like your friends," she said in a low voice, though he knew at least half the room had the hearing too catch it.

"You just like people smarter than you," he replied with a grin and tapped her nose. He looked up to see Faith headed their way and took a moment to enjoy the view.

"Yes, it's fun. But they still don't believe me about magic," Willow pouted at him.

"Faith, you look elegant." The word choice made her glow, and she did.

"Thank you." Her voice didn't have the normal husky purr of false sexual attention. This time it had warmth and love, and that was the best present he could have been given.

"Ladies, dinner awaits."

With that he escorted them to the elegant room that had been set up for them, and wondered how he was going to break the news about Robin.


	8. Chapter 8 - Revelations

One of the conference rooms, at least he assumed it normally acted as one or Tony had a spare dining rooms hiding on floors which was possible, had been transformed into an elegant dining area. The presentation of food had all of them salivating as they walked in. The table, big enough for the four of them without bumping elbows sat in the middle, with drinks on a side bar to the side. In the middle of the table sat a lazy-susan so they could turn it to get what they wanted. He'd begged help from Pepper and she'd laughed saying she'd take care of it. Or more accurately her assistant would. Being awesome as she was, it created a tableau past anything he could have imagined. Food enough for slayers laden the turn table, but he noticed with a half smile it was all stuff easy to eat, no cutting up required. That was a blessing, otherwise he'd have worn half his food.

Each plate held a bowl of steaming soup, and the food on the table consisted of tabbouleh, a wide array of puffs, three trays full of cold meats, pasta salad, sourdough rolls, and a mound of what looked like pigs in a blanket, though he doubted that it was anything so low brow.

Xander helped each of them into their chairs though Faith gave him a half smirk, half shy smile. Then they fell to the food. Wine and water were at each setting, and the sideboards also held a large amount of chocolaty deserts.

_If nothing else they'll remember the food. Maybe they'll kill me with it?_

He'd noticed no sharp implements, not that any of them needed weapons to kill him. For now though, he sat back and listened to them talk. The overall babble about the experience of having personal stylists and the way they were treated had left them all jazzed and he noticed that even Buffy had dialed back the aggression a bit.

_I wonder how much of her talking about me has been the slayer marking her territory? Oh well, I'm not hers to mark, but in the long run no harm. I know they love me. It would be nice sometimes if they could remember what I do, not just who I am_.

The idle thought dimmed his smile a bit, but even in his head he didn't wish, that way lay danger he didn't want.

When they had died down, and the food platters only had remnants on it, it cleared his throat. The three women turned to look at him.

"There have been some events over the last few days that I need to let you know about." He began and wasn't surprised at all when Buffy interrupted.

"What happened now, Xander? Please tell me it doesn't involve a prophecy." But her smile had warmth and all of them looked curious, but not worried.

"Nothing that wide spread. This pretty much only involves the Slayers and the Council." Their eyes all sharpened as they watching him, but he noticed the fork start to bend in Faith's grip.

"As of this morning Robin Wood is no longer working for the Council."

"What?!" Exploded from Willow and Buffy, but he kept Faith in the corner of his vision and saw the sturdy metal fork bend in two.

"Why would you do that? He was good and didn't try to hit on me." Buffy almost whined which made Xander arch his eyebrow and she blushed a bit looking away.

Willow frowned at him saying slowly. "Why? I mean you haven't been there in a while, why would you be involved in his – what? Quitting? Resignation? Firing?"

He took a sip of water, wine wasn't his favorite drink. Some of that tequila would have been nice right about now though.

"I understand you might have concerns, but we had an issue."

"What just cause he broke up with Faith?" Buffy darted a look her way, but didn't seem to notice Faith sat frozen, the fork in pieces next to her plate.

"No. As much as I dislike anyone hurting any of you, that would not be an area for me to threaten him with more than the shovel talk. No. We found out he's been sleeping with slayers consistently over the last two years."

Faith went ghost white and if she didn't have a hold of the table he might have been worried that she would pass out.

"He what?" Buffy burst out, her voice suddenly icy cold.

"But he's been dating Faith," Willow protested her face pale as she looked at Faith and he could see when she registered Faith's reaction.

"Here is the situation. While all the slayers he slept with were over eighteen, a majority of them were from Africa and did not realize they had the right to say no." At that comment both Buffy and Willow went still, looking at him even as Faith inhaled a short sharp breath that laced pain through him. "While he did not force any of them, after talking to them he never told them they could refuse and with their upbringing they thought he had the right to request sex. He has been dismissed but paid a severance that should give him enough to be fine. We will not allow anyone to use our girls or imply they are required to provide sexual services for their continued well being."

"He'd been sleeping around for two years on me? And he made them think they had to sleep with him?" Her voice sounded like it had been dragged over broken glass.

Xander looked at Faith and nodded. "Yes. Which is why he will never work with children again. I'm sorry, Faith. I know you cared about him, and while I wanted to beat him for hurting you, what he was doing to our," he stressed the word our, "slayers could not be borne."

"I'll kill him," Buffy muttered as the butter knife took the brunt of her emotions.

"He's human. But it is done." Xander kept his voice mild, but his attention was on Faith who had started to tremble a bit.

"Buffy, Willow? I assume you know what you need to feel better about this. If you'd like to call Giles please feel free. Otherwise, I believed you wanted to change for dancing? I'd like to talk to Faith for a minute."

Buffy's head snapped away from him and looked at Faith and he saw her righteous anger fade. "Oh, Faith. I'm so sorry. I knew he'd slept with someone else, but honestly I thought you were in an open relationship and tried to not stick my nose in." She rose and went over to Faith. "Swear, I only knew of one slayer and she was in her twenties and with your whole slay, lay, thing I didn't…" she trailed off and dropped her head, then laid a hand on Faith's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have seen, I should have cared enough to realize something was wrong. I'm sorry." She turned and gathered up Willow who still looked pale and they walked out of the room, with Faith sitting there, her eyes dark with pain and reassessment.

Xander scooted his chair closer so his knees touched hers. "You okay?"

She turned bleak eyes on him. "Was it my fault? Was I not good enough that he had to start preying on our slayers?" He didn't know what hurt worse that she could believe that or that she took the guilt for Robin's actions, Robin's choices.

"Faith," his voice cracked a bit as he spoke. "I want you to listen to me. Robin is scum to have done this. You did nothing wrong. You are one of the strongest people I've ever been privileged to meet."

Tears had started to leak down her face as she looked at him. "But then why?"

"Because he chose to prey on girls he knew wouldn't refuse him. You can't control other people and they can't control you. You know this. That is why you are so strong. You fell and you choose to claw your way back out. He made his choices and in the process he threw away something infinitely precious. You are a miracle and deserve to be treated as such."

Slowly, almost as if she was Jolie and any touch might make her bolt, he opened his arms, and didn't know whether to cry in joy or sob in relief as she collapsed into them weeping. He held her tight letting her cry. When she turned her head up and kissed him fiercely, he let her. For a minute reveling in the feel of her lips against his, but when she started to move her hands up his chest, he caught her hands and pulled them away from him slowly, a bit reluctantly.

"You don't want me?" Sorrow lined her voice and he kissed her forehead.

"Faith, my body would like nothing better than to take what you are offering, but you are worth more than that, and I'm not about to treat you as less than what you deserve." He swallowed, closing his eye for a minute. "Listen to me. You are a beautiful special woman and you don't deserve anything less that the best. So, I'll make you a deal. I want you to take one year, one year to live, to do all the things you want. Giles needs a global troubleshooter, and the job is yours if you want it. If after a year, we are both single, and aren't involved with anyone, we'll revisit this. But I won't abuse your trust by doing anything before then."

She laid her head against him, her body shaking slightly, then she took a few deep breaths and pulled away.

Xander let her go, no matter how much he wanted to hold her and protect her, he couldn't.

"You're a good man, Xander Harris."

"No, cause trust me, I want to pull you to my apartment and try to recreate the past with you. But you're someone I love, and I won't do that to you."

Faith froze in the act of trying to wipe her eyes and looked at him. "You love me? Even after everything I've done?"

"Because of everything you've done. If you'd done anything else, you wouldn't be a woman I love."

A slow smile spread across her face and she leaned forward and kissed him softly, this time he took the kiss as it was meant. She pulled back and stood.

"I think you said dancing."

"Yes, the party will be crashed by almost everyone. Feel free to flirt and live. Faith, no one has a right to say anything about what you chose. I just want you to choose what makes you happy. If that means seducing Clint or Bruce or a stranger on the street, go for it. If it means being a monk for the next year, go for it. But mostly I want you to find yourself."

Her smile was soft, but a hint of mischief tinted her smile. "And if I want to seduce Natasha?"

"Then I and every other male in this place will watch you with awe and no small amount of fear," he replied promptly and she burst out laughing.

"Thank you. I'm going to go change and get completely wasted and go to bed alone, unless I can convince Natasha to take pity on me." Her smile sly, but he saw the tremble of the lips so he gave her the humor she needed.

"I'll pay for pics."

That made her laugh again and she headed out, leaving Xander sitting there, his hands shaking. He waited until he knew she had departed and there was no way anyone could over hear him, except the one person he wanted to.

"Jarvis?"

"Yes, Xander?"

"Never tell me when Robin Woods is in New York city. I might not be able to control my baser instincts." His voice had darkness in it, and his hands curled into fists.

There was a long pause and Xander rose heading for the elevator.

"Understood, though I believe you will not protest if I tell Ms. Romanoff and Mr. Barton."

Xander's smile had no humor in it, and a lot of hyena. "Not at all."

Dancing ended up being at a popular club a few blocks away, and all of them walked there, showing off their dazzling looks. The three visitors were dressed to kill, or at least to inspire heart attacks of anyone that swung that way. Buffy in a skintight dress that showed off every curve yet covered her modestly in red the colors of hearts blood.

Xander wondered if he should be disturbed that he knew the color of hearts blood.

Willow walked beside in her in a green dress that flirted, draped, and moved hinting but never revealing the woman wearing it. The smile on her face, one of confidence and joy created an almost irresistible aura of sexiness around her.

Faith though out shown them all, and even Buffy had admitted the dress had been made for her. It skimmed over her body with a keyhole neckline the proved she didn't need a bra. But it was of a white material that shimmered and radiated and drew every eye to her.

Jolie and Bruce had declined the invitation, which Xander was just as glad of. Faith could test the patience of a saint when she prowled, and Bruce screamed that he needed release, her favorite prey.

Safira dressed up, though not like the others, she seemed to get they needed to shine and even Natasha and Pepper didn't pull out all the stops Xander knew they could have.

Tony or Pepper or someone had reserved the entire VIP section for them and booze aplenty and cute young things that were more than happy to bring them anything they wanted circled the area even as people took pics. Most of them shied away, but Tony, being Tony, preened and posed until Pepper distracted him with a kiss that Xander knew would be on the front page of something tomorrow.

They danced, they drank, they laughed, and Buffy and Faith dragged him out on the dance floor where he proved once again his ability to dance resembled someone being hit by a taser. Maria showed up, and he gave her a hug, but other than that he watched his girls.

True to form, Faith flirted with everyone, but he saw the shadows behind her smiles. Steve and Safira didn't notice the rest of the world. Clint enjoyed all the attention, and Natasha. Well, Xander suspected if Faith hadn't been hurting a lot of money would have exchanged hands that night as bets were won or lost.

They stayed until the wee hours of the morning, finally leaving as the place shut down, using the walk to burn off most of the alcohol. The only truly human ones, Willow, Tony, Pepper, and Xander had kept their drinking to a minimum. He figured Clint either had superhuman alcohol tolerance or there was something just not pure human about him. Either way, he didn't seem affected by the copious amounts of booze he'd put away.

The next morning, actually late morning. Xander put three women on the plane to home.

"Thank you, Xander. This was wonderful. I'm so glad you're in a safe place." Buffy gushed as she hugged him one more time. He just smiled and accepted the hug.

"Safe flight, Buffy," He replied squeezing her tight.

She hugged him once more then headed off to security.

Willow hugged him and gave him a searching look. "Did we do something wrong? I get the feeling not everyone liked us."

"Nah. Just a bunch of alpha personalities. You know you're adorable."

Willow smiled hugged him and whispered, "I'll send everyone a bunch of cookies as thank yous."

"They'll love that." One more tight hug and she chased after Buffy. Xander turned to look at Faith who tilted her head.

"I owe you."

"Nope. You don't. I just exposed a problem that should have been identified a while ago. If anything we owe you. We should have seen and done something said something way before this."

She shrugged, then looked at him. Faith opened her mouth to ask something and he could see the second her eyes glazed over and she lost track of the question, magic affecting her perceptions of him. A brisk shake of her head and she smiled at him. "A year, huh?"

"Yep. Date, have fun, and in a year you can come see if I'm still single and if you'll have me." He smiled at her knowing damn well in a year she'd have either found the love of her life or would realize she didn't need anyone.

"Good." She hugged him once more, kissed his cheek, and then fled not looking back. Xander stood there for a long moment then turned and headed for the car.

The drive back didn't get him killed and he counted that as a blessing. Up until the point he got off at the common floor and found everyone waiting for him.

"What?" He asked looking behind him, even though a sinking feeling drifted over him.

Tony cleared his throat and looked at him. "Why exactly do those women, whom you obviously love and who love you, think you are a completely helpless person?"

_Fuck._


	9. Chapter 9 - Explainations

Xander sighed and looked at them. "I suppose since you are all here," he eyed Jolie and Safira, "there is no way to get out of this?"

"'Fraid not," Natasha said as she painted her toe nails, with Clint helpfully holding the bottle of bright purple nail polish.

Xander sighed and headed towards the fridge. "Is your sipping tequila in here?"

"Hell no. You think I'm stupid enough to leave it where uneducated heathens can access it?" Tony demanded, jerking his head towards Clint.

"Hey, I have a Bachelors," Clint protested, though his hand didn't move from holding the nail polish.

"Like I said, uneducated heathens," Tony responded, then shifted his attention to Xander. "But if you dig in the back of the freezer there should be a bottle of Stoli."

Xander wrinkled his nose. "Nah, need sipping stuff, this might take a while."

"Top cabinet, in the back is some Four Roses." Clint said, even as he didn't glance Xander's direction.

"That works." A minute or two later he sat on the couch and looked at them all. "What, no Maria?"

"She couldn't make it. Asked us to share if allowed." Pepper replied with a half smile curling her mouth and Xander groaned.

"You sure I can't just say, old friends, and leave it at that."

"Generally, my old friends don't treat me like I'm all but disabled and an idiot," Bruce countered softly, a cup of tea with steam still wafting from the top of it in his hands.

"Or treat him like he's never done anything dangerous, or fought a demon before," groused Safira. She sat on a loveseat with Steve, her long legs draped over his lap, but their eyes were on him.

"Ugh." Xander took a sip of the whiskey, he didn't care what time it was. This conversation would suck. "Okay. So you know we all met when we were teenagers, right?"

They mostly nodded though Jolie frowned looking at him.

"Well, we had Buffy, slayer extraordinarie, Giles, the know everything trained in odd weapons and combat guy, Willow, the uber brain who later became the uber witch, and Angel, the brooding I have a soul vampire. We added Oz, the philosophical werewolf. Then you had me." He sighed and sipped avoiding their eyes as he stared at the tumbler.

"Look, at fifteen I was awkward, a complete loser, and tripped over my own feet, literally. I acted as bait and often proved more of a hazard to them than to the demon or vampire we were fighting. I got better, slowly. But compared to the rest of them?" He shrugged. "I was a normal, awkward, teen age male. I made bad jokes, cared too much about boobs, and trying to impress the girl I'd never have."

He felt Safira glare at him but he didn't look at her, instead focused on Clint and Natasha who seemed more entranced by the designs she painted on her toenails than anything else.

"It all came to a head our senior year. They told me I was the Zeppo and pushed me out of the group. It was a bad year. I did some things, saved some people, all by myself, and they, well they admitted they needed me. Kinda. I still was the liability, the one most likely to get hurt." He shrugged looking back at the whiskey glass. "Life went on. We lived through some apocalypses, Buffy died." He heard the sharp intake of breath but didn't address it. "We resurrected her six months later. It didn't go well for a long while." He swallowed a bit more, avoiding their eyes. "We got older, maybe a bit wiser, and Willow fell in love, with a wonderful woman, and then she got addicted."

He fell silent remembering that time, remembering all the mistakes he'd made. And Anya. Anya. He fought back a sigh.

"Addicted to what?" Tony blurted out the question pulling Xander out of his memories. Xander glanced at him as Tony tried to cover up his actions. "What? Inquiring minds want to know." He ducked as Pepper jabbed at his ribs, Bruce threw a pillow at him, and Natasha threw the closed nail polish bottle. "Okay, peanut gallery shutting up."

A ghost of a smile traced the corners of his mouth at the antics. "Black magic. She started needing to use magic to make things go her way. To change things so she wouldn't get in trouble. And Buffy still had a problem with not being dead, not being where we should have left her. And I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn't see what was going on. And we won't even mention the singing demon." His voice dropped disgusted as he remembered that incident.

_I was such a fucking moron. I don__'__t need to explain any more, they don't need to start wondering about the sanctity of their minds._

"It was bad for a while, but because she was madly in love with Tara she quit. She got better." He smiled this time as he watched his listeners, a sad smile as the image of Tara with her peaceful nature making dinner for them. Safira frowned and looked at Jolie who shrugged, then they both looked at him.

"She and Tara were slowly repairing their relationship and they were going to work it out. And one of the human magic users we'd stymied in the past shot Buffy. I still don't know if the bullet went through Buffy, or if he fired more than once and one of them went into the house. Either way, it killed Tara. In front of Willow. She died in her arms, while I was busy with Buffy. I didn't even realize Tara had been shot."

He took another swallow, this one larger than the rest had been. "Tara was special. She was the most calming and loving person I've ever met. After traveling in Africa I know she was probably an empath and a natural earth witch. She didn't have it in her to be violent or hold grudges. And she died, shot by a madman out for revenge. Willow snapped."

He watched all of them, but only Natasha stopped looking at him, her face suddenly unreadable.

"Remember I said she is an Omega level magic user?" They nodded and looked at him frowning. "Remember this was quite a few years ago and she has gotten stronger since then. She pulled in all the magic surrounding us, magic from books. She almost killed Giles and Anya. Set monsters to attack Buffy and Dawn and went to destroy the world." He saw their puzzlement and laughed. It had more hyena than human in it and he stopped when they flinched from the sound.

"She had tapped into the pain of the world, all of it, and it drove her mad. Madder than she already was. I think, and a lot of this is a bit fuzzy, she was going to drain all life from the earth, as since she hurt everyone else should hurt. I'd been a bit lost, you have to remember a lot was going on, and at this point we were pretty sure we were all dead. All being the Earth. So, I went to her. Me, the Zeppo, the one with no powers, no skills, nothing except self-pity and uselessness. And trust me, I'd proved how much a failure I was earlier that year." He shook his head hands tight around the glass.

"I talked to her, and she slammed me with magic, more than once." Xander swallowed trying to clear his throat. "I felt something when it hit, something besides just pain, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I tried to convince her I loved her. That – " he broke off and shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Bottom line, I succeeded. I talked her off the literal cliff and we got her therapy and help. But something changed. Ever since that day no matter what I do, even when I royally fuck up." He went quite his mind seeing when they kicked Buffy out. "Hell, even when I got my eye gouged out, they seem to forget, or it slides away like a memory they can't retain. It's the worst in Buffy and Willow, they almost can't see anything except the Zeppo. Dawn and Giles aren't quiet as bad they remember longer and occasionally seem confused when they remember me doing something the loser that is me shouldn't be able to do. Faith it effects occasionally, mostly she just doesn't understand why they act that way, or why I allow it. But the longer anyone is around Buffy or Willow the more it settles in. Like their belief starts to affect others. And if I'm around them the effect is even stronger, affecting more people. Altering other peoples beliefs to match what they believe. Mind you I don't have any proof and I don't KNOW that is what caused it, but everything started to trickle more and more into pushing me to the side since then if I'm around for them to see me."

Xander poured the remaining whiskey down his throat and stood up to refill it. He talked to the counter top, not wanting to look at them.

"After Sunnydale was swallowed and the slayers were called I had to get away, as far as I could. For multiple reasons. We all lost a lot that day. I left for Africa and they all expected me back in a week, a month tops. But I'd been learning and practicing, and I talked to a lot of magic users in Africa, they helped me come to terms with the Hyena. Adjust to the Soldier and realize that most likely the magic solidified them seeing the Zeppo when they look at me, because on that day, I felt useless, worthless the only one completely disposable. Now they can't seem to see anything else except the stupid teenage boy who tripped over his own feet and was made a thrall of by Dracula."

With a shrug he turned around eye closed. "So, there it is. Yes, they love me, but they see me as lovable Labrador puppy who doesn't know his own limitations. And since I can't change what magic wrought and telling Willow what she did might spiral her into a depression, I try to stay a few states away and not rub the dissonance into their faces. This is almost too close, too easy for them to worry about me, to come protect me."

When he finally looked up at them they had odd looks on their faces. Safira had her head buried in Steve's chest looking like she might be crying. Steve's eyes were grave as he looked at Xander and nodded. Jolie chewed on her lip looking at him and he couldn't interpret the girls' expression. Nat and Clint were easy, they caught his eye and nodded once, they at least understood that you couldn't always be your real self to the ones you loved. Bruce had a distant look, and Xander suspected he was lost in his own past thinking about what might have beens.

"You can get addicted to Black Magic? Do other people know this?" Tony asked, his face unreadable. He winced as Pepper elbowed him again, this time connecting.

"I understand, Xander. It makes me like them a bit more and understand some of their comments. They were demeaning for you, but for a teenager who was still more potential than actuality it would have been amusing. I'm sorry." Pepper said softly.

Xander blinked looking at Pepper, who was studiously ignoring Tony rubbing his ribs and glaring at her. She might have hit him harder than she intended.

"Why are you sorry?" he'd expected them to tell him what an idiot he'd been or at the least that he should have been glad they still tolerated him.

"Xander, you faced your best friend believing she would kill you. And then when you realized they could never see who you were you let them believe what made them happy and stayed away. I don't know that I could have been that selfless." She stood up and pulled him into a hug. "You're an unusual man, Xander Harris. I'm rather glad Steve brought you to us."

No one else pushed the emotional stuff, but Safira and Jolie cornered and dragged him to the apartment and made him sit down.

"Xander, I'm only going to say this once, so I want you to hear it without anyone else around. I love you. You have been a brother and a father to me these last years. You are smart, brave, skilled, and loyal past anything I've ever seen. No matter what those you love think about you, I will always know that you are my hero, my Knight." Safira ended that with a hug that Xander suspected cracked one of his ribs, but he didn't say anything.

When she stepped back Jolie stood there looking at him. She stared at him so long he started to shift in his seat.

"I trust you." She said and in a fast fluid move only a slayer could pull off she had her arms around his neck and was hugging him. He sat there for a long time, his slayer holding him as she cried for both of them, while Safira made them a late lunch. They were taking the day off to spend with each other.


End file.
